Personae:

Personae: THE HISTORY OF PEACE COLLEGE

By Sidney Ann Wilson

Peace Institute Raleigh, N. C.

Peace was founded in 1857, opened in 1872.

PERSONAE : THE HISTORY O F PEACE COLLEGE

Sidney Ann Wilson

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FOREWORD

The extensive historical research of Miss Sidney Ann Wilson on the origin and early development of Peace College has been nothing short of encyclopedic. I heartily concur in her desig- nation of this work as a matter of “devotion and dedication.” It is entirely due to her immense determination that this history, the culmination of years of effort, has achieved its present form.

It has been my pleasure for the past year to assist Miss Wilson in the completion of this volume. She has worked under a physical handicap that would have incapacitated many people. Her indomitable courage and optimism in the pursuit of her “dream” have been constant reminders of the wonder and glory of the human spirit. She is a daughter of whom Peace College can be extraordinarily proud.

In March of 1972, Miss Wilson was hospitalized and was unable to bring the work to a close entirely unaided. I have, therefore, standing in awe and humility before her very obvious accomplishments, undertaken to tell the Peace College story of more recent years to the present. In this, I have been motivated solely by the desire that Miss Wilson’s work come into the hands of those Peace College Alumnae for whom she has so happily and unsparingly labored. This is her Centennial Gift to Peace College.

George Alexander Thomas Raleigh, 1972

T h e print ing of this his tory is the result o f t h e generosity o f Mrs. M . C. Benton, Jr . (El izabeth Holmes) an alumna of Peace College f r o m Winston-Salem, N . C.

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William Peace 1773-1865

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Founder of Peace College

THE BEGINNING It has been said that “in every child who is born, under

no matter what circumstances, and of no matter what parents, the potentiality of the human race is born again.” Potentiality, however, like Topsy, does not “just grow.” It must be encouraged, shaped and disciplined. In short, it must be taught; education is the greatest hope of any potential. So it was more than a hundred years ago ; so it is today.

In the year of our Lord 1857, there were varied and new ideas abroad in the land. Some were progressive inclinations; others were the kind that stultify the best efforts of men. Of the f irst type were the programs for the education of women; representing the latter was the living evidence of slavery.

As early as 1790, there began some agitation for public education in the state. In the rural areas of North Carolina, the country church building usually did double duty as the school. The early field or subscription schools were formed when a family with several children to educate offered a room, if the other families in the neighborhood would help procure and pay a teacher. The elementary education of the children of the time was both scanty and of poor quality. Most of the youngsters, especially girls, were expected to work in and about the house, while some children of very poor families were hired out for specific wages.

The first funds supplied for educational purposes were derived from a tax on liquor; and, although a law for public schools was passed as early as 1839, i t did not f ix the responsibility for the system’s operation of the school buildings or the acquiring of teachers. While efforts were being made in the direction of public education, the educational needs of the people

were being inadequately met by private schools and the better academies. Of course, the academy was on a more secure financial foundation and was also able to provide better education for its students. Each academy was chartered by the Legislature and provided a classic curriculum to prepare for entrance into a university and from there into a profession such as law, medicine, teaching or the ministry. Almost every county in North Carolina had an academy, and some had several. Wake County had as many as twelve, but they were not all in operation a t the same time.

With the opening of Davidson in 1807, the Presbyterians were the first to establish a denominational college in North Carolina. This religious group used its own resources to establish the school; and, a s with most of the early denominational colleges, the primary purpose of the school was to educate ministers. Since church schools were less expensive in those days than were the State Universities, i t was considered by most that the latter were the schools for rich boys. It was thought that the religion-sponsored schools made a more sincere attempt to bring education within reach of the common man. All of the ante-bellum colleges in the State, with the exception of New Garden, a Quaker institution, excluded women. Defense of this attitude can be found in these words:

Boys and girls should not be taught in the same classroom; each sex should be educated to its neces- sities, the education of boys being fa r more advanced and complex than that of girls. Furthermore, it was emphasized that the classroom should

teach girls to become “serviceable and pleasant companions,” as well as training them in the elementary subjects. It is evident, then, that social and economic custom forced girls out of school and into society and matrimony a t about the age of sixteen, the age a t which the boys were about to enter college.

Most of the schools in America were modeled on European counterparts. Yale, for instance, was copied from Cambridge, and Davidson was modeled after Yale. Since the European educational system had no place for women, this tendency was also transferred to America.

Wake County, North Carolina, was never divided and set off by natural boundaries; instead, i t was divided for purely political reasons. The county seat of Wake was originally Bloomsbury. In 1792, a commission, appointed by the legislature, purchased for $2,700 the 1000 acre plantation of Joel Lane located near Bloomsbury. Thus, the extended dispute as to the location of the capital of North Carolina was finally settled. The streets were laid off and given names of political significance. The General Assembly ratified the work of the commissioners and named the new city “Raleigh.”

The Presbyterians organized a congregation in Raleigh as early as 1806, but they built no edifice for their own services until 1817.

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There were two other schools in Raleigh besides the illus- trious Academy. These two were for both sexes. A female seminary was opened on Halifax Street under the sponsorship of the Baptist Church. About the same time, the Select School for Girls appeared, and for forty years Mrs. Eliza Taylor operated an excellent school for girls which was located on the corner of Salisbury and Hargett Streets. The number of schools would seem to have been adequate, considering tha t the total population of Raleigh was not yet 3,000 in 1850.

Though there was little education for girls prior to the 1840’s, there was beginning to be a definite demand for female education. The ideal Southern woman of tha t time was both modest and innocent; she was “graceful in person and gracious in manner.” Many people, and especially the masculine segment of the population, seemed to think that to educate girls would spoil these qualities and detract from their charm. Neverthe- less, seminaries, institutes, and colleges for women began springing up. Equipment for these schools was generally poor; the textbooks, often fifty years old; and qualifications for teachers, almost non-existent. Still it was a beginning; and it must be remembered tha t there were almost no job openings for women whether they were educated or not.

Although some agitation for a school was begun by the Presbyterians in 1847, nothing became of i t a t tha t time. During a meeting of the Session of the Spring Garden Church tha t same year, which was held a t the home of Mr. John L. Lesueur, the following resolution was acted upon and entered in the minutes of the Session. “Be it resolved that the Reverend William N. Mebane and Elder Alfred M. Scales respectfully bring to the notice of the Orange Presbytery meeting in Raleigh the importance of establishing a female institution of learning to be under the direction of Orange Presbytery.” Eleven years later, these church leaders, still desiring an educational institution for their daughters, looked toward Raleigh with more and more favor fo r the location of the school.

The Peace brothers were merchants in the city of Raleigh. They were also known to be men of “diligence and probity.” Both men were bachelors, and i t is said that their name fitted their characters. Mr. William Peace was an elder in the First Prebyterian Church and had been one of the founders of the University of North Carolina during the period 1790 to 1795.

At the age of eighty-four Mr. William Peace headed the list of sponsors of the new Presbyterian School with his gift of land for the site of the school and a donation of $10,000 for the construction of the building. It was the desire of Presbyterian leaders to have in the state capital “A school of high grade for the education of young women.” The institution was incorporated on October 1, 1858, as Peace Institute of Raleigh, her future made more secure by the generous gift of the one who was honored by giving her his name-William Peace. This sum proved to be one-third of the total cost of the

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f irst building. The following excerpt from the original charter shows the object and the spirit of the men that were the founders.

(The) Female Seminary will have for its object the thorough education of young ladies, not only in the substantial branches of knowledge, but also in those which are elegant and ornamental . . . said school to be Presbyterian in i ts influence and course of education.” As the groundswell of coming chaos tha t was the Civil

War was felt throughout the State, the daily happenings around Raleigh showed little change.

North Carolina seceded from the Union on May 20, 1861. There was a match factory and a cartridge factory in Raleigh in which much of the work during the war years was done by children, even blind children. Anticipating the leather shortage brought on by the war, farsighted businessmen opened a factory to make wooden shoes for the civilian population.

At the time the war broke out, the building a t Peace Institute was incomplete. The thick walls had been raised, but the windows and floors were not in place. In May of 1862, Dr. Thomas Hill, Surgeon, Confederate States of America, was sent to Raleigh to open a General Hospital, which would be a central point for the distribution of sick and wounded Con- federate soldiers. In a later “Sketch,” the doctor wrote :

I t was at first proposed to take the St. Mary’s School with buildings, but on consultation with friends this idea was abandoned; and i t was pointed out that the Peace Institute, then in an incompleted condition, could be had-and would be more suitable and cause less dissatisfaction. I visited the place and found a large brick framework,-the roof on,-but no floors and windows,-, General Holmes’ orders were to hurry up matters and, if necessary, to impress every able-bodied man in Raleigh and put .him to work-and get the building ready. Major Pierce called in the contractor, Mr. Briggs, and he promised to put hands enough to work to get the Hospital ready in a month. . . . In the meantime . . . the floors were put down and frames made for the windows - no glass could be found - so the frames were covered with white domestic and painted to keep out the cold. . . . As well as I can recollect . . . the f irst patients were received on the

On April 12, 1865, an air of brooding tension seemed to hang over the city as if in foreboding of some eminent disaster. Johnston’s army had gone west, leaving the capital undefended. Over the Fayetteville road the word was brought that Sherman was coming ! Suspense mounted. Who could know if Raleigh’s fate would be the same as that of Atlanta or Charleston, and she would be put to the torch as an example of Union victory?

6th of June, 1862. . . . ,,

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Governor Swain met with State and City leaders. He wrote : I appraised them immediately that Sherman’s army was a t hand, that any show of resistance might result in the destruction of the city.

The city was formally surrendered to calvary General Kilpatrick the next day. The Union Army set up camp. Governor Swain continues :

. . . I delivered the keys of the State House to General Sherman . . . and received his assurance that the Capitol and the city should be respected and the rights of property duly regarded. For a long time the building of Peace Institute was used

to house the Freedmen’s Bureau Agency, that unpopular Recon- struction innovation of the Federal government. Additional work on the structure was postponed and hopes for opening of the school seemed dim indeed. The beloved William Peace died in 1865 at the age of 92 and never saw the completion of the school to which he had contributed so much.

When the Trustees of the University a t Chapel Hill studied the wreck of their beloved institution, they were appalled at the situation they found. Like other colleges they found sky- high debts, threadbare and obsolete equipment, and no money to remedy the situation. A t Peace Institute, the situation was no different. After the Main Building was completed, the Trustees found that i t was impossible to repay the loans secured by the mortgage. In due form, the entire interest of the old corporation passed to Mr. R. S. Pullen. The gentleman, being very liberal in his approach to the matter, was more than magnanimous in his actions :

. . . . although belonging to a different church (Meth- odist), he recognized the intent of the original sub- scribers and at once proceeded to organize a new corporation in which he generously offered the largest amount of stock to the Presbyterians. Much of the basic problem confronting the educational

institutions of the late 1860’s and 1870’s is inherent in the history of pressure being brought to bear on the colleges to readjust their courses to the needs of a commercial age. The conservative educational leaders eventually had to bow to the community demand for a more practical kind of education, Then, although the teaching of the classic curriculum still flourished, the progress of the new idiom was making itself felt. In this circumstance, the tax-supported state institutions were in an admirable position to offer this “broadly inclusive, all purpose training,” which was so much in demand.

The most important factor of all was the acceptance by the public that women had a right to an education. Before going to college one small-town girl of this period wrote:

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I had never seen but one college woman in my life. I had heard that such a woman was staying a t the home of an acquaintance. I went to see her with great fear. Even if she had hoofs and horns, I was determined to go to college. It should be remembered that for most of the nineteenth

century, even school teaching, except for very young children, had been in the hands of men. The public would not pay the price for good education for women. These schools for girls, however, sometimes called superficial, strove for a functional education for their students to a greater extent even than did the men’s colleges. Prior to the beginning of the regulation collegiate education for women, both the academies and the seminaries had worked out a program of “mixed secondary and college studies, emphasizing English, science, modern languages and moral philosophy.” The female academies and seminaries also stressed such practical training as domestic science and “preparation for teaching.”

Another difference between the male and the female facilities of this time was that the feminine variety was very rarely endowed. Therefore, female facilities were of necessity operated by their officials for profit. It has been imaginatively stated that these schools were merely “the lengthened shadows of their founders.”

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The Rev. Robert Burwell Mr. John B. Burwell President 1872-1890 Associate President 1872-1890

THE BURWELL ADMINISTRATION 1872-1890

The Reverend Robert Burwell had probably been connected with schools for girls longer than any other educator in the South. A testimonial in one of the early circulars for Peace Institute states: “NO other family in the South as f a r as I know has devoted itself in this way to female education.”

Mr. Burwell’s ancestors were from Virginia where he was born in June of 1802. His ministerial training was obtained at Hampton Sidney College, which, a t that time, included the Union Theological Seminary before the latter was removed to Richmond, Virginia. His ordination took place a t Lynchburg, Virginia in 1826. Soon thereafter he met Miss Anna Robertson of Richmond, Virginia, and they were subsequently married in 1831. Mr. Burwell then accepted a call to the town of Hills- borough, North Carolina, and the family moved there in 1837. The couple had twelve children, all of whom grew to maturity, though three of the daughters died early in life, and two of the five Burwell boys who served in the Confederate Army were

-,killed. John Bott Burwell served the South, attained the rank of Captain, and worked closely with his father. (He will be considered later in this history.)

While in Hillsborough, Mrs. Burwell opened a small school, beginning with her own and only two neighbor children. Soon, however, the school was expanded to take both day and boarding pupils, and from the year 1838, the reputation of the little school spread f a r beyond those who had merely sent students there. Consequently, in 1857, when the Trustees were seeking

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outstanding people to take charge of the Charlotte Female Institute, they asked the Burwells to undertake the project. The family moved to Charlotte, and while there Mr. Burwell served the Paw Creek Presbyterian Church in Mecklenburg County.

When the property of Peace Institute was returned to its rightful owners, and was, in time, fitted up as a school, the Burwells were invited to come to Raleigh and take over its operation. In June of 1871, Mrs. Burwell was visiting her daughter in Raleigh when she became ill and died. In the following year, and despite his grief, Mr. Robert Burwell assumed control of the school. A former pupil of Mrs. Burwell came to the Institute as a teacher; she says: “I found the school as I had left it.”

While running his school in Raleigh, Reverend Burwell also served churches on occasion in Johnston County. He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of North Carolina. Throughout the period from 1872 to 1890, his name remained a t the head of the list of school officers. It was he who determined the policies and who did most of the personnel work, as well as other administrative duties.

A t Peace, Mr. Robert had a workshop from which he turned out many of the desks for the kindergarten pupils, as well as “rocker” type swings which the girls enjoyed. Happy hours were spent in this workshop by the small kindergarten boys, playing a t his feet or watching Mr. Burwell a t his work. He taught classes only the very first years of his tenure a t Peace; his subject was Mental and Moral Philosophy. He conducted the chapel exercises and gave instruction to the hoarders in Bible on Sunday afternoon, as well as presiding over other religious activities during the week.

During his entire administration, Mr. John Bott Burwell worked with his father at the school. His title was associate principal, and his duties especially tended toward the business end of the administration. The relationship between father and son seemed to be a happy one, for Mr. John had a deep interest in the school to which he gave years of loyal service in several capacities, including classroom duty as teacher of Latin.

Mr. John Burwell married twice, the second time to Mrs. Frances Foster Jones, a widow who resided in Raleigh and who was studying a r t a t Peace when she met Mr. Burwell. It was this Mrs. Burwell who figured so prominently in the activities of the school. She held the position of Lady Principal as well as head of the Domestic Department from 1880 until the sale of the school in 1890.

The essence of John Burwell can be appreciated from this statement in a paper written by a former pupil of his, the late Flora Creech.

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Mr. (John) Burwell . . . impressed us as a man of invincible power-a person tha t inspired confidence. He was generous of heart, and a friend to every pupil. Above all, he was a Christian gentleman. . . . I sometimes consider why i t is that Peace has held such a grip on me all these years, and I have come to the conclusion that i t was the personal touch of the man a t i t s head and the teachers associated with him. Many of the pioneer movements that were introduced

a t Peace during this era were brought about by Mr. John Burwell. Mr. Burwell was ahead of his time as an educator and through him Peace Institute can be credited with several “firsts” in female education a t that time.

Mrs. Mary Rice Lacy had for some years directed a small school in Raleigh. At the time tha t Peace Institute opened, Mrs. Lacy’s school was incorporated into the new institution, and she was given the position of Lady Principal. She proved to be an efficient and popular supervisor of the deportment and the scholastic endeavors of the girls.

In the session for 1880-1881, Mrs. Lacy was not listed as teaching any classes. This year she was also to be joined in her duties as Lady Principal by Mrs. John Burwell. This status of change was never effected, for on September 15, 1880, Mrs. Lacy died. These words in the following year’s catalogue mark her passing:

Mrs. Lacy became Lady Principal of Peace Institute in the autumn of 1872, and continued to hold this position until the day of her death. Of her work in this institution i t is unnecessary t o speak. Her self-sacrifice, the motherly care for the physical and spiritual health of those under her charge, her control, wise in its strength, tender always, were such that hundreds who have gone out from the halls of Peace will rise up and call her blessed. The present-day recreation room (formerly a study hall)

in main is named for Mrs. Lacy. Mrs. John Burwell and her occasional assistant, her husband, father-in-law, and Mrs. Lacy comprised the early administrative staff of Peace Institute. These officials guided the school through her formative years to its place as one of the finest institutions of its kind in the entire South. To the directors goes much credit for keeping faith with the dream of having a Presbyterian girls’ school after the trial of fifteen years of waiting, frustration, and disappointment. Having kept faith. they then applied themselves in a practical way to make the dream a reality.

Peace Institute was owned by a joint-stock company, a majority of whom were members of the Presbyterian Church. Initially, Chief Justice H. N. Smith was President of the Board of Directors, and John D. Williams of F2,yetteville was

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Vice President. Mr. George Allen of New Bern, General R. Barringer of Charlotte, and Judge Howard of Tarboro were among the original stockholders.

In the year 1877, the school was issued a new charter and re-incorporated, The above charter was amended in October after the property had been bought by a committee of the First Presbyterian Church in 1907 and the stock increased from $30,000 to $100,000.

A press notice in 1880 says this of Peace Institute : Peace Institute is now one of the largest and best equipped female colleges in the land, not inferior to the celebrated female seminaries in the Valley of Virginia. The corps of teachers consists of eleven ladies and gentlemen, each selected because of fitness for the post assigned. Miss Jane Long indicates the fine foundation of Peace

When I was again called to the school, then Peace Institute, after an absence of nine years, I found the same rules in operation. Mr. John Burwell and I went over them together with the view of adapting them to more modern conditions. We found there everything necessary to a well regulated establishment, with nothing superfluous either in the school or Home De- partment. We made no vital change and when the school passed from the management of the Burwells to Mr. Dinwiddie, it was still “Mrs. Burwell’s school.” During his f irst year as an instructor at Peace, the pioneer

in education, Mr. Charles McIver, established a Normal Depart- ment. A description of the work included states :

The aim of this department is to aid young ladies in preparing themselves for teaching. The work embraces a course of Reading and Lectures, the Science and methods of Teaching, and the observation of the teaching done in our Primary Department. The pupils in this class will occasionally visit the Public Schools of Raleigh, where they can see the methods used in the graded schools of the State, and they will a t all times have access to a large and well-selected teacher’s library. Flexibility among the teachers could reach amazing pro-

portions. For instance, a graduate of Peace Institute in 1880 with a “diploma” from the Institute could go forth and be asked to teach any one or combination of the following subjects: rhetoric, English literature, English composition, English grammar, penmanship, elocution, “reading,” “writing,” “Belles- lettres,” calisthenics, history, and perhaps natural science. This is a far cry indeed from the super-specialization, (which has

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Institute in these words:

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almost reached the limit in the opposite direction), that is in evidence today.

Not all of the schools, or departments, presented the same type of problem encountered in the English work described above. For example, the school of Mental and Moral Philosophy remained almost exactly the same throughout Rev. Watkins’ ten-year tenure. The same stability is shown in the school of music, headed by Mr. Albretch Baumann and his wife.

Concerning the science courses, this interesting little notice appears in the circular throughout the years :

The Institution is well supplied with Charts, Globes, and Maps, a fine Stereopticon with slides for the illus- tration of Astronomy, Botany and Geology. A Complete set of apparatus for Chemistry and Natural Philosophy has been added to the former collections, and a cabinet of Minerals and Shells furnished by the State Geologist. It need hardly be said that these science courses were only

distant cousins to those given today. The year 1879 marked one of the trail-blazing “firsts” for

Peace Institute. The School of Cooking, or Home Economics, was introduced and was the first of its kind in the South. For this course, there was enrolled an additional class consisting of “ladies from the city.’’ Some of the questions given on a n examination in the collegiate course are noted below. In these days of processed and frozen foods, these items are interesting indeed.

1. How is soup stock made? 2. How is white soup made?

10. How is the color of vegetables kept in boiling? 14. How are salads dressed? 17. Rules for bread, rolls, and biscuits 20. Give some details a s to cooking utensils. The school year 1880-1881 gave notice that a Department

of Needle and Fancy Work was included in the curriculum. Miss Huncke (French and German) was the teacher, and it is added tha t “she has enjoyed unusual advantages abroad to f i t her for an accomplished teacher, and has had large experience as a n instructor in these branches.’’

Beginning also in 1879, Peace Institute took another forward step in providing the first kindergarten in the South. Regarding this department, the circular explains :

The pupils of this department receive special attention. A large room, separate from the main building has been fitted up . . . the pupils receive instructions according to the approved Kindergarten methods, which seem destined to greatly modify and improve the ordi- nary plans of Primary instruction.

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With a deep chuckle, one looks at the pictures and reads the descriptions of the calisthenics, or gym classes, of the 1870’s and 1880’s. To keep a hundred or more young girls healthy, however, when social mores forbade them all but the most limited activity, was not funny. I t was a serious proposition. The situation was made even more formidable by the lack of funds to buy equipment, and the ingenuity of the officials was taxed to find a solution to the problem. At this time about the only activities considered suitable for women were walking, horseback riding, and “botanizing.” It was a problem indeed for those trying to run a girls’ school. All of the early catalogs for Peace Institute print a special paragraph concerning “Health and Physical Training.” It indicates that one of the prime con- siderations of the teachers is to see to the health of the young ladies in their charge. “It is one of the daily prescriptions for each pupil to take exercise in the open air twice a day, when the weather is favorable and when she is not excused by illness.” More specific is this statement :

Under the direction of an accomplished Lady Teacher, the pupils go through a regular course of light gymnastics, and are all required to take this exercise during the allocated hours unless excused by advice of physician. In later years, parents were urgently requested not to give

their daughters permission to omit “this highly important and useful drill.” Another statement was added :

We cannot be responsible for the health of pupils unless we have the entire control and direction of their hours of exercise. That this program was well thought and practicable is evi-

denced by a letter from Dr. E. Burke Haywood to the effect that there had been no deaths a t the Institute since its opening in 1872.

According to Mary Alves Long, the gymnasium was on the fourth floor of the building and served as the a r t gallery by day. The hours for the gym classes were from nine to ten the first three nights of every week. The easels, busts, pictures, and statues were moved aside to make room for the gym- nasiasts.

(We) . . . repaired . . . there to exercise ‘free hand,’ and also with, dumbbells, rings, and wands. Even a little dancing was thrown in one intricate number called the Andalusian, done with many twists, bows and turns, as we went around in a huge circle taking in the whole room. The schottische and the polka were also taught. . . . Everybody was crazy about gym. It was the custom for those first three days when dressing for the afternoon to don our gym suits of bright blue flannel made with perody waists, and trimmed with red braid. There were bloomers, of course, making this a swel-

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tering costume on warm autumn and spring afternoons and evenings. But we didn’t mind; anything connected with gym was fun. The Infirmary had no special superintendent until 1878

when Miss Fannie Long was in charge. After this, Mrs. Rowena Micks, Miss Nannie Linsley, Mrs. Mary McNutt, and Miss A. M. Keeling did their duty in the capacity.

One of the most popular departments in the entire school was the Department of Fine Arts. Not limited to charcoal, oil, and water color work, included were painting on porcelain, photo-crayon, and painting on satin and plush, as well as China painting. These last four subjects were introduced in 1881, although from 1879, Peace Institute had had one of the f irst schools of drawing and painting anywhere in the South. To some of the younger girls, Miss Spencer and the other teachers from the North were curiosities, since many had never seen a Yankee before. The sophisticated Seniors comforted the younger ones by saying: “They are nice though, and if i t wasn’t for their accent, you would never know it.”

Always one of the most outstanding departments a t Peace was that of Music. Headed by the inimitable Professor Baumann and his talented wife, Mary Penick Baumann, the Department remained almost intact throughout the eighteen years of The Burwell Administration. Mr. Robert Burwell had made i t one of the conditions of his moving that his music teacher come to Peace with him. The condition was agreed upon and Mr. Baumann came to Peace Institute where he taught for the rest of his life. A memorial organ was given to honor Professor Baumann in the First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh. A plaque commemorating this loyal servant is attached to the present organ of that same church.

At this time, the Main Building was valued a t $40,000, and the structure was said to accommodate 100 boarders. The apartments of the teachers, as well as recitation, a r t and music rooms, parlors and a chapel were “maintained under one roof .” The entire building, including the “spacious” corridors, were thoroughly ventilated, “Warmed by furnace and lighted by gas.” Not only this, but “hot and cold water is introduced upon each floor, and convenient bathing rooms are provided.”

By 1884 the heating facilities had been changed to steam radiators, but the lighting was still by gas. A former student‘s comments on these conditions :

“. . . there was hot and cold water plentiful for all requirements. We could fill our pitchers as often as we liked, and the newest luxury of course was the central heating system, the f irst I had ever seen. It made taking a bath in the winter a s pleasant as in the summer.”

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One of the first telephones in the city of Raleigh was that which connected the Principal’s office a t Peace Institute to the telegraph office downtown.

It was believed that many rules made for many infractions. Better results were obtained by developing confidence and affection between the teachers and pupils. There was no such thing as a self-governing student body; this remained about forty years in the future. A t this time, government of the house was “parental,” and i t was stated that proper authority “will be maintained ; all needful requirements enforced, but appeals will be made to the reason, the conscience and affection and the ladylike sense of propriety of the pupils.” Eating, as well as studying, was forbidden in the rooms, and parents were repeatedly requested not to indulge their daughters temptation to eat a t “unreasonable hours” by sending food-boxes. Such habits, said the officials, were “highly pernicious to health and morals.”

Things Required 1. Lady-like conduct on all occasions. 2. Prompt obedience to the rising and other bells. 3. Neatness and good order in the sleeping rooms. 4. Strict observance of the Sabbath.

Things Prohibited 1. Communication of any kind during study hours. 7. Visiting stores without permission or without a teacher. 8. Boisterous noise in or about the buildings or grounds. 9. Loud talking or laughing on the street.

10. Noise in the sleeping room after retiring a t night. 11. Eating a t unreasonable hours or in the sleeping rooms. 12. Games of chance or novels. 13. Throwing anything from or conversing from the

windows. 14. Unpermitted visiting of rooms. 19. Whispering or unlady-like conduct a t table. 23. Correspondence with gentlemen (brothers excepted). For the majority of the Burwell administration, the class

work a t Peace was divided into three courses of instruction: Primary, Preparatory and Collegiate. A Preparatory Depart- ment was a vital necessity, while the Primary Department was not. With no such facilities as a standard Junior or Senior High school, f a r too many of the students came to Peace Institute pitifully unprepared to do college work. Therefore, it was necessary, if not obligatory, for Peace and other institutions giving work on the college level to maintain a Preparatory Department for untrained students. In every catalogue is found the admonition that “no pupil will, under any circumstances, be

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allowed in a class for which she is manifestly unprepared.” The maximum course load allowed was the equivalent of “four studies”; but it must be remembered that these courses met five times a week instead of being staggered as they are today.

The Collegiate Department was divided into five (later seven) “schools.” In order to avoid confusion, i t should be borne in mind that those “schools” are the counterparts of today’s college departments, and are in no way connected with the broad academic branches leading to professional degrees (e.g., School of Law) found in today’s universities.

One peculiar thing about early circulars of the School is the emphasis and descriptions they gave of examinations. All sorts of details were given concerning rigidity of tests, how often they were given, the percent of questions that must be answered correctly, and other points:

The examinations are written and very rigid. The scholar must answer four-fifths of all the questions. This explains why there were but four graduates this session. The student who took the required courses and received

certificates of proficiency in each of the seven schools was entitled to the distinction of Full Graduate and received a diploma to that effect on Commencement Day. The standing for each of the “schools” was determined by the term average for class work and the examination. An average of eighty percent was required to pass. In 1889 this requirement had not changed, but there was no longer the selection of courses.

For the graduation of the first year at Peace (1873) the girls who graduated had taken prior work at other institutions, principally a t the Charlotte Female Seminary, where the Bur- wells had formerly been. The number of the graduates in the next years were as follows: 1873, 4 ; 1874, 8 ; 1875, 4 ; 1878, 2 ; 1879, 4; 1880, 9 ; 1881, 4 ; 1882, 4; 1883, 13; 1885, 15; 1886, 8 ; 1887, 8 ; 1888, 16; 1889, 14.

It was not until the year 1882 that the number of students went over the 200 mark. More than half of these were day students, and primary and preparatory students contributed a goodly number to the total. It should be remembered also that the Kindergarten and Primary Departments were for boys as well as girls.

Comparatively the expenses at Peace were considered those of a fairly expensive school. If a boarding student at tha t time wished to take Latin, French, Calisthenics, Music, with the use of piano, these courses with the regular tuition, washing and board would come to the price of $175.00 for the term of twenty weeks. In those days of Reconstruction that was considered a sizable sum.

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The charges for the g a y Pupils in the Collegiate Depart- ment were the same as were those in the Primary Department. Tuition for a Primary day pupil was only $15.00 for the 20-week term.

After the brief period of exercise in the morning, the students were in Assembly a t nine o’clock for a devotional service. After this, they went to classes or remained in study hall until three o’clock in the afternoon. Another hour of study occupied the time from four to five, after which there was free time until supper. The bell for evening study rang a t eight, bu t there was a little free time prior to this.

Saturdays were free from classes, and the morning was leisurely except for one hour which was supposed to be for study and time given to writing letters home. Sometimes the girls would go to town on Saturday afternoon, but this was the exception rather than the rule. Saturday night was prayer meeting night. There were two prayer meetings held, one for the Saints and one for the Sinners. The group called the Saints included only Church members, and their meetings were held a t the home of Professor Baumann. The Sinners, on the other hand, met in the Library!

Sunday was enlivened by the march to Church in couples. Being Monitor for this occasion was a coveted honor. The Peace girls sat in the gallery of the Church, where they had a good view of the incoming congregation. After dinner on Sunday, the afternoon offered nothing of excitement, “unless we had secreted a forbidden book in our room.” Most of the afternoon the girls were supposed to stay in the rooms. Going to church a t night was little different from going in the morning; but on the way home there was always a chance tha t something different might happen! Sometimes a venturesome boy would edge his way into the dark ranks of the girls, as the line marched along with only a teacher a t either end.

When this happened our swift grapevine warning meant, ‘Talk as loud as you can and drown them out,’ thus making it possible to accompany us even to the front gate itself, where, unseen and unsuspected, they vanished into the night. Parents were repeatedly urged not to give their daughters

Long experience has taught us that young ladies cannot go into general society and attend to their studies at the same time. Visits of young gentlemen will not be allowed a t any time, except at the discretion of the Principal, and parents are earnestly requested not to give permission for such visits . . . . Only one “social organization” was listed in all of these

years-a f a r cry, indeed, from the numbers of “fun clubs” that came along in later years. This single organization was the

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permission for visitors.

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Missionary Society, “a voluntary organization for the fostering of a missionary spirit among its members by keeping them informed as to the progress of Christianity in the world.” Their meetings were monthly and “all contributions are devoted to the cause of Foreign Missions.”

Dress is always an interesting comparison to make between years of the past and styles of today. In 1873, and shortly thereafter, very little print was given to clothes. Only simplicity was stressed with a reminder to bring adequate rainwear. In 1882, however, the statement concerning clothing was somewhat enlarged, and opened with these words :

It is a very mistaken idea to suppose that young ladies attending a course of study a t Peace Institute require an expensive and elaborate wardrobe. Such is not the case; on the other hand, i t is not only unnecessary, but injurious to the progress of a pupil, experience having shown that those who bestow much thought on dress, bestow very little on anything else. Evidently the young ladies most concerned in the matter

did not want to be told what to wear and insisted on bringing their prettiest clothes to school. One Sunday “best” dress described as “a beautiful shade of bright blue cashmere, made with an overskirt and basque, with a blue silk vest ornamented with large Dresden China buttons,” was the prettiest dress in school. As a result of this, in the last year of the Burwell term, there was printed the notice concerning a uniform for the Peace scholars. The item was put below the perennial request for appropriate attire. The officials sounded rather a t a loss to cope with the situation:

In order to carry out the above and reduce as much as possible the expense of dress, a uniform is prescribed for winter, to be worn on public occasions. This will consist of some black material, made and trimmed to suit the taste of the wearer. It is not known how the girls reacted to this, for the school

changed hands the next year and so fa r as is known, this is the only time uniforms were ever recommended for Peace girls.

As indicated through the material above, the Burwells worked hard to bring their school through troubled times, and against considerable odds. They began their endeavor in a time when the people were still suffering conditions resulting from the backwash of war. Their institution was a new one in a new environment with no waiting reputation to make the way easy-such a reputation had to be built up in future years. The officials of Peace Institute were also faced with running the new and untried school in a relatively poor community whose whole economic outlook was devastated by the war. There was no outside help for the project such as endowments or other support.

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Not only did the Burwells overcome such odds, but they went on to make their school highly successful, and pushed its standards upward until Peace Institute was reputed to be one of the finest schools in this area. They did this without raising the prices of their services beyond the reach of the people that they served. A consistently full school is testimony to this fact.

The “Schedule of Classes” is especially valuable in seeing a t a glance the work given at Peace. It was so representative that i t was reprinted in an article concerning the education of women by the United States Board of Education.

Teachers of high caliber were also synonymous with this administration, when most qualifications in the “climate of education” were quite low.

The reputation of Mr. John Burwell was no less than that of his parents; to him goes much of the credit for making the policies of the school work; and to the positions of administrator and scholar, he added the qualities of an excellent business mind, without the guidance of which the shoals of financial chaos would have wrecked even the highest ideals of such an institution.

This administration certainly kept faith with the ideals of the founders of thirty-two years before. Five of the major precepts that have further guided the institution through more than a hundred years of her history are: (1) a small student body, (2) a well-rounded schedule, (3) a faculty of outstanding academic ability, (4) a home environment, and (5) a wholesome religious atmosphere. These remain the bases of the operation of the school today.

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Mr. James Dinwiddie, M.A.

President 1890-1907

THE DINWIDDIE ADMINISTRATION 1890-1907

The condition of Peace has sometimes been uncertain, and her fortunes have fluctuated with the times of man. Peace is still flourishing, giving her unique blend of education, Christian spirit, and culture to the unending stream of girls who come to her gates.

The loyalty of her daughters and the wise guidance of her administrators are evidenced in the charm and efficiency of her physical plant, as well as in the consistent improvement in her scholastic rating, her endowment, and the cessation from debt.

With a heritage of service to the Church, community, and women of the state of North Carolina, she will continue her contribution far into the dim reaches of the future.

The beloved Professor Baumann, head of the music department a t Peace died in this year. He was deeply mourned by students and colleagues alike. This incident is related by Jose- phus Daniels :

Professor Baumann . . . called to see Dr. McIver to ask him if he would not excuse for one month a certain number of young ladies from his classes so they might have the time to major in music for commencement. In profferring the request, Professor Baumann naively said, with the German accent-for he never spoke perfect English-“You know, Professor McIver, what you teach is not important.” McIver told me he did not have the courage to tell the delightful professor, whom everybody loved, tha t what he taught was unimportant in comparison with train-

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ing young women for teaching the boys and girls of the State. In 1890 money was scarce, for the effects of the panic were

still felt. “With cotton selling a t four or five cents a pound . . . cash was hard to find.” However, a t Peace Institute, the school was full with seventy-five boarders and a score or more of day students. These words tell something of the status of the place.

For twenty-one years, Peace Institute has been at the very head of the Southern Female Schools. These are some of the reasons: 1. Does not aim a t large numbers. 2. It is limited to seventy-five boarders, and they must

be girls of good character and studious habits. 3. The Standard is constantly being raised. 4. Buildings are handsomely furnished and well ar-

ranged. . . . . This school commends itself to those seeking a good school for their daughters by its home-like arrange- ments, its constant attention to the moral and physical welfare of the pupils, its healthful surroundings and its superior faculty. It has two Masters of Arts in i ts faculty. . . . Its musical director is a full graduate of Ber- lin. . . . . The school is compact, thorough and progressive, and desires to avoid any species of Humbug. Instead of having a house in town as have subsequent

Presidents of Peace, Dr. Dinwiddie and his family lived in the building. The President had living quarters on the second floor of Main Building, east of the Chapel; across the hall were his business offices. Miss Nannie, his daughter and an instructor, had a suite of rooms on second floor near the Infirmary located in the north wing over the dining room; other daughters had rooms on the second and third floors.

Dr. James Dinwiddie was born in 1837, and he had no middle name. The name Dinwiddie is an old and honorable one. They were originally one of the Border Clans in Scotland and are first mentioned historically in the year 1296.

He received his Master of Arts at the University of Vir- ginia. He held the rank of First Lieutenant in a Battery formed in Charlottesville when he entered the service of the Confederate Army.

When the war was over, Dinwiddie became principal of Sayre Institute in Lexington, Kentucky. Other positions followed. He became principal and owner of an academy for girls at Gordonsville, Virginia, and was the last outright owner of Peace Institute.

He died on a visit to his son in San Francisco on July 2, 1907, and was buried in Raleigh. His wife, Bettie Morton Car-

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rington, whom he married a t 18, predeceased him by eleven years and is also buried in Raleigh. The couple had ten children ; all but two of these reached maturity.

Dr. Dinwiddie was a giant of a man, about six feet two or three, though he looked much taller to some of the girls, especially the little ones in the primary department. He was bald when he came to Peace, and wore a clipped white beard similar to that of the late King Albert. Broad of physique, he gave the impression of formidable yet protective strength. His grey eyes were friendly, but his whole demeanor bespoke dignity and respect from those with whom he came in contact. He was not jolly, and this attribute lent a serious and dignified atmosphere in his running of the school.

An example of this solicitude is given by his daughter Nannie: “Father just bothers me so. If he sends a message that he wants to see me, and I reply that I will see him tomor- row, immediately he starts down the hall, clomp, clomp, clomp to knock on my door and ask if I am ill.” This is understand- able, for the delicacy of the Victorian female was proverbial. In fact, the lag in education for women was much due t o the attitude that it was “too rigorous for a girl” and might send her into a decline. Also in an institution of this kind, one of the horrors that always lurked in the background was that of an epidemic of some kind sweeping through the students. Medi- cal knowledge of such diseases as diphtheria, scarlet fever, ty- phoid fever, and flu was a fa r cry from what i t is today.

One of Dr. Dinwiddie’s chief characteristics was his sneeze. It is said that when “Dr. Dinwiddie sneezed, you could hear him from one end of the building to the other.” The President was an astute business man, and i t is certainly no discredit to him that he took over the school as a business proposition. To the contrary, it was an excellent achievement that he was able to maintain the high standards that were recognized throughout the state and beyond through times that were anything but smooth and serene.

Even for those days, Dr. Dinwiddie paid small salaries to his teachers. However, most of them could have gone elsewhere if they mere dissatisfied with the school. He was a good and understanding teacher, and more than one girl found him a warm and humorous friend. The first Lotus published in 1902 contains this dedication :

To James Dinwiddie

who for twelve years has been instructor, adviser and father to his girls, and who has been a friend in

their troubles, a sympathizer in their joys, and a promoter of their happiness, and to the

memory of his wife, this book is lovingly dedicated.

The death of Dr. Dinwiddie caused deep regret throughout the State, according to the News and Observer. A few weeks

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prior to his death, i t is reported, he made a “tender farewell address” to his students a t the commencement exercises.

Dr. Dinwiddie was among the best known and most successful educators in North Carolina and as President of Peace Institute he had made a splendid reputation. . .

“Miss Nannie” as she was called by the girls, was most awe-inspiring and her elegance of manners and dignity of bear- ing were considered perfect examples of Victorian womanhood. Dr. Dinwiddie was responsible for the scholastic and financial problems of the students, and Miss Nannie dealt with the personal and minor infractions of rules, breeches of conduct and general deportment. If a girl lagged in her studies, she was required to attend study hall in the evenings; if she could not pull her grades up, then she was tutored.

Miss Nannie often appeared to be only a strict discipli- narian to the girls placed under her guidance. Actually, however, she was a remarkable person of many talents. One of the people who seems to have known her best gives an interesting insight into her personality. Calling her a “great person,” i t is declared that “her demands of other people were fa r less great than those made on her.” In her work a t Peace, one could not ask for one more personally qualified than Miss Nannie for her particular role in the school. She had a moral and mental integrity that would never “let her go beyond a certain point in unbending to anyone,” and this isolated her even further in her contacts with people except in a superficial way.

Her travels had given her a touch of the cosmopolitan air ; her cultivation of an exquisite form of “conversational French” made her the envy of many a miss and matron. Most of her clothes were bought in Paris; they were always in lovely style and were worn with a “svelte taste which defies description.”

Miss Nannie, not overly endowed with patience to begin with, was brought to the burning point by numerous and trivial displays of temper by a gentleman teacher, who enjoyed only a very brief tenure at Peace. After hearing the last word of these petty scenes, she looked at him scathingly and said in an icy voice:

Mr.- .. ...-...........-.-.., you represent that incredible combination of a mature man and a spoiled child that only the artistic temperament can produce. After leaving Peace, Miss Nannie moved to Washington,

D. C. but came to Raleigh frequently to visit her friends and relatives. She was one of those fortunate ones who grew old with grace and charm. She died in Washington, D. C., in 1946.

The Boarding students rose each school day morning a t seven A.M. ; breakfast was served at seven-thirty. Both day

.’: >> ;: :$ >% :p :: :> .L A. .L ... .,. .,. ,,. ...

:k :z Q ;; g :* .%. .., ... :x I,. .,. .,.

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students and boarders joined for the morning chapel service conducted by the President. In his absence Miss Nannie presided.

Near Christmastime one year, a particularly daring young miss proceeded to sew little bells on her petticoats. Merrily the bells jingled as she walked into chapel, to classes and all through the day. She was clever enough to keep several of her friends with her everywhere she went, and the teachers never were able to discover j u s t who the “tinkler” was.

The erratic training of students was, of course, obvious when they came to enter a school like Peace. The classification of pupils was quite a headache.

It was a difficult task, for there were virtually no high school records. In fact, in 1900, there were only thirty high schools in the entire state. Raleigh, for example, did not have a high school until 1904. Hence, in addition to private and denominational academies, most colleges had preparatory departments which, in many cases, enrolled more students than the regular college classes.

Proportionately, the confusion in pupil preparation increased the higher the level to which she applied. This confusion accounts for this statement in the early catalogues of the In- stitute :

The preparation for college work is complete and thorough and we urge parents to let us have the training of the pupils when they are young. No one in a year or two can mold the habits of older girls and we are often embarrassed by the superficial work that has been done by pupils in their early years. The curriculum of that time seems somewhat confusing

today. There were ten “schools” in the Institute: Math, Eng- lish, History, Natural Science, Mental and Moral Philosophy, Languages, Pedagogy (Education), Music, Art and the Com- mercial School. Each of these may “be pursued independently” says the catalogue; and parents were counseled against urging their children beyond their ability. “A few subjects mastered are more satisfactory . . . than superficial knowledge of many branches.” In regard to this principle, four full studies with extras was the maximum work allowed each student. The classes for each subject met five times a week. It is also noted that “all students in first and second collegiate courses are required to attend regular lessons in penmanship.” Listings for the “Com- mercial and Industrial Course” were given :

Book keeping (Meservey’s) Book keeping (Goodman) Commercial Forms Type-writing (Remington) Stenography

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Cutting and Dress-making, which will be taught a t the instructor’s charges.

The Conservatory of Music offered instruction in Piano, Voice, Voice Culture, Organ, Cello, Violin, Guitar, Theory of Music, Harmony, Counterpoint, Canon and Fugue. Instruction was described as of the “best and most approved methods of the advanced teachers of Europe and America.” To classify the students of music, three courses were given: Preparatory, Junior, and Diploma. This same method of classification was used in the department of art.

The courses given a t Peace Institute in the Music Depart- ment would compare favorably with a four-year course leading to a major in music. In the other courses, the girls who got diplomas felt that theirs were equal to any school in the South, universities included.

Of the two, a certificate was obtained with fewer requirements than a diploma. The latter was broader and included both a major and electives, while the certificate was a notice of proficiency in one subject. Of course, a girl could get certificates in several subjects and go out and teach English, His- tory and French. For instance, one person explained i t in this way:

The girls who came to Peace Institute were able to get what most colleges had to offer scholastically a t that time, plus the atmosphere and personnel of a finishing school. A stipulation made by the Administration was that they

accepted no “Parlor Boarders,” and that “a student boarding a t the Institute is considered a member of the family, treated as a lady and expected to behave as such.”

Recognition of high scholastic ratings was acknowledged on Commencement Day. “Students whose general average in any study equals or exceeds 90 . . . are announced on Com- mencement Day as ‘Distinguished’ in that study.” Besides these announced honors, almost every “school” or department had its special medal for outstanding achievement. The requirement for winning was that the student be in training a t Peace for at least two years, and “have attained in the school an average of 92.” Some of these early medals can be seen today on display in the Library. They are in excellent condition and represent one of the few tangible touches with that long ago day.

As the pupils went about their studies, so the officials went about their many tasks to assure the smooth running of the institution. As one rather buxom lass hurried down the hall, Miss Nannie caught a flash of bright red stockings as the girl turned a corner. Quickly following, she called to the student and in a quiet bu t insistent voice “suggested” that the offending hose be changed for black ones, for red stockings were “certainly not becoming to a lady.” No more red stockings were seen that year.

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Dinner was served at one o’clock, and this was the main meal of the day. Plentiful supplies of meat, vegetables and milk were served. The two o’clock bell soon called the pupils to their afternoon activities. Classes were generally over by this time, but some could don their “blowsey black bloomers” for the gym classes required of all boarders. In fine weather, they played tennis and a form of soft-ball. When the weather forced them inside, there were calisthenics, basketball, and “tenpins” for the activities. About three o’clock on two days a week, the little yellow delivery wagon of “A. Dughi, Dealer in fruits and candies of all kinds and Bird Fancier Manufacturer of ice cream by steam,” would come up the Peace driveway. All the girls would hurry down to make purchases from the fascinating stock. There were homemade French creams, crystallized violets and rose petals, nuts and alikuma. Sometimes a pretty box was purchased fo r a roommate’s birthday, or sent home as a gift. This caution was, however, listed in all early catalogues: “The President cannot advance money for laundry, pocket money, etc.”

Another highlight of some of the afternoons was to get permission from Miss Nannie or Dr. Dinwiddie and go to the tiny grocery store a short distance away. This time they did not indulge their love of sweets, but instead purchased huge dill pickles f o r a nickel apiece and large square soda crackers. These seemingly innocent expeditions to the grocery store were the basis for one prank that has become almost a legend in the history of the school. It seems that for a period these excursions resulted not only in the purchase of pickles and crackers but also double sheets of flypaper. Sheet by sheet the supply was collected through many trips to the store, and kept carefully hidden. At length, enough had been accumulated and other steps were planned.

On the designated night, after the last lights were out, stealthy figures crept down the halls, placing the opened-and extremely sticky-flypaper in front of each door. Quickly and quietly they went about their task, for the round of the night watchman with his revealing lantern would uncover their activity and spoil the fun. Hurriedly now, they gathered in one of the rooms where one girl had been chosen for the most hazard- ous task of all . . . to ring the fire alarm! In the dark halls, the faint patches of paper showed in front of each door; in the room, those nameless girls waited breathlessly. Suddenly the fire alarm sounded! There was a scurry as doors opened, both girls and teachers hurried into the halls. In their excitement, no one looked a t the floor: bare feet and slippered feet faltered briefly as they hit the flypaper. The fire alarm rang only a short time, and within minutes all knew themselves to be the victims of an outlandish prank. Most laughed; a few, especially the teachers, were outdone, and Dr. Dinwiddie made up his mind to find out who the schemers were the next day. We do not know what was said, but the leaders of the daring mischief were never found out.

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After the numerous events of the afternoon, the girls prepared for dinner, which was usually served about six. The meal usually consisted of cold meats, grits, delicious homemade rolls, and fruit. For an hour after supper the girls enjoyed leisure until time for study. Study halls were held for those with poor grades, but most students studied in their rooms. There was a t least one teacher on each hall, and no visiting between rooms was permitted. This bit of advice was given: “Students who expect to succeed have no time for extended correspondence and should write to the home circle only.”

There was a bathroom on each hall and the girls signed for use of the tub. If the girl failed to show up for her time in the schedule, she missed her bath. Because the time of the students for leisure was so limited, there was no encouragement of inter- course between the Day Students and the Boarders. This isola- tion of one group from the other was felt by both. Often the former felt that they never got to know any of the latter group. Sometimes a more venturesome day student would “sneak up” to visit a friend who was a boarder; sometimes they would visit briefly in the practice rooms. This was certainly not encouraged, and in fact, the visitor, if caught, was reprimanded. The day a t Peace Institute would end with lights out a t ten o’clock. After that only the night-watchman had reason to walk about the deserted grounds and through the dark buildings.

Musically, Mr. James P. Brawley made his department one of the outstanding ones in the state. Born in Chester, South Carolina, (1872) he was raised by his aunt ; i t was ascertained tha t the boy had an excellent foundation for his later education. His musical training lists him as a pupil of the famous teacher, Leschetizky. The depth and breadth of his education made friends agree that “he could have been equally successful in any number of fields, especially law and philosophy.” The result of his heritage and education was a combination of a “magnificent mind and a forceful personality.” Mr. Brawley’s work with his students at Peace was superlative. He asked much of his pupils, but was such a fine teacher that he inspired them always to give their best. The graduation recitals of his piano majors were not only most popular a t the school, but drew considerable attention and attendance from the townspeople. The senior presented was usually featured in duets with Mr. Braw- ley as well as in solo selections.

Mr. Brawley procured many fine pianos for the school. When a famous opera or concert star performed in New York, he or she would generally order a fine, new Knabe piano to be used by the accompanist. These were excellent instruments, but the day after the concert, they would be sold a t a considerable reduction. These were the pianos that Mr. Brawley bought for Peace.

Mr. Brawley had the air of a “citizen of the world,” but still he was quick in sympathy and was always generous with

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::: * * * * * * * 4: :; i: *

his musical gifts, substituting as organist in any number of churches in the city. The lack of an over-riding ambition enabled him to find a large measure of happiness in the work of his choice. His was a “good life of work well done.” During his last two years, he was not well, and his schedule at Peace was lightened. His death came unexpectedly in 1932.

r.: :I: :> ;> :> .., .*. ... .I, .,. d. . , . . , . . , ._. . . , . . . .

During the Dinwiddie administration, as teacher of Latin, English, and History, Mr. Henry Jerome Stockard came to Ra- leigh in 1899. He was born in 1858 in Chatham County and spent most of his boyhood on a farm. Having finished Graham High School, young Stockard attended the University of North Carolina. In 1889, he received his Master’s degree from Elon College. Turning to teaching as a career, he first taught in the Alamance County Schools, and after a brief tenure in the Eng- lish Department of the University of North Carolina, he accepted a position as Latin instructor a t Fredricksburg College in Fred- ricksburg, Virginia. It was from there that he came to Peace Institute.

Mr. Stockard was always held in high regard by his students and was considered by some to be a truly inspirational teacher. He was more than willing to help the student who had difficulty with Latin syntaxes despite effort, but he was most stern with those who tried to “get by” with their lessons.

He deeply loved his own hearthside and keenly felt his family responsibilities. As a father, he was rigid in his standards and sought to instill his own convictions and Christian doctrines in his children. Like most poets, Dr. Stockard took his writing very seriously. Recognition in this field gave him great happiness. Writing on envelopes and other scraps of paper at hand, he did most of his composition in the early morning between five and seven. In fine weather, he sat on the porch, and, though alone, would often burst out laughing a t the antics of the several kittens that always seemed to be about the place.

The honorary degree of Doctor of Literature was conferred upon him by Wake Forest College in “recognition of his services in both education and belles-lettres.” In 1907, he became Presi- dent of Peace Institute, but resigned the executive position in 1912 to serve in what was for him the more congenial atmosphere of the classroom. It cannot be said that Dr. Stockard was an exceptionally happy man; he took family and business pres- sures too seriously for that state of mind.

He was, however, cheerful in his work and enjoyed teaching. He was a sympathetic and warm friend. In 1903, the girls at Peace dedicated their annual, The Lotus, to him with these words :

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To Henry Jerome Stockard

Poet, educator and friend, this volume of The Lotus is dedicated as a mark of

our affection and esteem.

We know beside the poet’s work The daily kindness of a friend.

Dr. Stockard died in 1914 a t the age of fifty-six and was deeply mourned by his family and many friends.

These two lines were part of a poem included:

*. ... ,,. .._ :I: ::: .’. .,. .’. .,. :s :: :: ;i; ... .*. .I. .e.

Some dating was allowed. It is, however, stated emphatically that this sort of thing was not encouraged by the directors. The girl who desired to receive a “gentleman caller” had first to get written permission from her parents giving the name of the young man (and probably all sorts of vital statistics), then she had to inform the lady principal of the date she was expecting her “caller.” After due preparation, the young man arrived with some dubious ideas as to what was expected of him and was taken to one of the parlors where he and the young lady spent a gay hour or two talking, while a teacher sat not too far away, supposedly reading a book. One Boarder of that time remarks:

Yes, he met her in Raleigh, when she was a t Peace. But how he ever got to know her, much less court her a t the school is beyond me. It was quite an occasion when the boys from A. and M.

(now North Carolina State University) came over to serenade their sister students at Peace. The administration of the latter was most tolerant of this, for it did not happen often and the serenaders were “most mannerly and sedate in their behavior.” After the singing was over, the girls were allowed to “step quietly out on the balcony and acknowledge the serenade with mild clapping.”

According to the early records, there were some most peculiar organizations a t the Institute. There was something called “The Grand Order of Banister Sliders” which had as its colors, black and blue, and claimed as its flower the spiral morning glory. In this secret(?) organization, Dr. Dinwiddie was listed as the “Lord High Keeper of the Sliding Places.” There was another group known as the “Hallowe’en Midnight Feast- ers.” I ts color was pale gray and the flower,-night-blooming cereus ! Officers were given such odd titles a s “Chief Trembler,” “Freezer Superior,” “Smuggler” and “Storyist.” On the other extreme was the “Heart-Smasher Club,” with colors of pink and blue-flowers named Johnny-Jump-Up and Sweet William. The motto of this group was a most practical one: “live while you live, for you are a long time dead.”

Breakfast on Sunday morning was served one hour later. After the noon meal the girls were required to go to their re-

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spective rooms for a period of rest, meditation, and quiet. The simple evening meal done, there was the flurry of wraps and hats in preparation for the return to church for the evening service. The procession of the young girls with the stalwart Dr. Dinwiddie in the lead was one of the best remembered events of the whole administration. In his hand the amiable old gentleman carried a lantern to “light a way for his girls,” and in the other hand he carried a most sturdy and useful cane for their protection! The boys knew of the procession and they waited in Capitol square trying to speak to the girls as they came through the grounds. “Move along, there,” Dr. Dinwiddie would say. “Go along your way,” and the heavy cane would sweep out dangerously close to the more daring young men. By the time they all got back to Peace, it was nine or after and the girls sought their rooms to prepare for bed and another week.

:K ::: ::: Q ;i; :fi 1: :K :: :: :: :z

Outstanding among the people associated with the school during this period were:

Dr. Hubert Haywood, Sr., the school physician Mrs. Mary T. Fowler-Matron and nurse at Peace

for 30 years William McSwain-for almost 40 years a helper in

many capacities Dr. William A. Withers Miss Pearl Rodman Dr. Charles Duncan McIver

The chief contribution of the Dinwiddie Administration can be summed up in the phrase, “a more progressive school.” This should not be interpreted to mean that the previous administration suffered from lack of progress. Under Burwell, Peace enjoyed the highest reputation. Dr. Dinwiddie, indeed, profited from the firm foundation established by his predeces- sor. Not only did Dr. Dinwiddie keep well what he inherited, but added appreciably to it. Part of this must be conceded to be due simply to the passing of time. For instance, i t was thought worthwhile in 1885 to teach girls “to paint on plush and satin,” but by 1902, this was substituted by the more practical commercial courses.

The emphasis that Dr. Dinwiddie put on standardization is another evidence of progress. Basically, the Peace Institute of Dr. Burwell’s time seemed more of a girl’s finishing school, while in the Dinwiddie years it evolved into a form more recog- nizable today as a college.

When Dr. Dinwiddie sold the school for $45,000, he indicated that he took this sum so that a fund of $5,000 could be used for the education of deserving girls a i Peace. He valued the school a t $50,000. The difference has since been called the “James Dinwiddie Memorial Scholarship.”

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Again looking back, one is aware that the basic principles that were the cornerstones of this institution are still the guide- posts of today.

The true purpose of education is to cherish and unfold the seed of immortality already sown within us, to develop to their fullest extent the capacities of every kind with which God has made and endowed us.

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Dr. Henry Jerome Stoekard

President 1907- 19 12

THE STOCKARD ADMINISTRATION 1907-1912

With the end of the Dinwiddie Administration, the ownership of Peace Institute had changed from a privately-owned school-which had been the situation for most of her years of service-to a church-owned school, Purchase of the school by the church was in complete accordance with the provisions of the charter, which states as the purpose of the school:

(This) Female seminary will have for its object the thorough education of young ladies, not only in the substantial branches of knowledge, but also in those which are elegant and ornamental. It is intended to be under the exclusive charge of those who will inculcate t h a t system of religion which is set forth in the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church. Said school to be Presbyterian in its influence and in its course of education. As with most schools of its kind, Peace continued to have

a preparatory department. Sometimes the numbers of students enrolled in this department equalled those doing college work. Elimination of the primary department was, in the case of many schools, a long process. However, it was a pruning job to be desired in order to strengthen and concentrate improvements in the advanced classes. As the public school system was extended, this handling of primary students became less and less of a problem. Inaugurated in at least three North Carolina colleges during this period was the Honor System. Student Coun- cils were set to decide cases of rule infractions. The eminent success of the system was gratifying to faculty, officials, and students alike. Its success was taken as evidence that the col-

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lege students were ingesting a more mature attitude toward the opportunity of higher education.

Another introduction in the general picture of education during this time was the self-help program for students. In colleges there were a variety of occupations listed whereby the willing student could help pay his educational expenses in full or in part.

No false aristocracy precludes them (self-help students) from honors, competitions or elections. Student life is one of personal effort, of personal endeavor, of self -reliance, and self -responsibility. A special announcement in the Catalogue for 1907-08 tells

of the change in the administration of the school, and continues: In the work accomplished by President Stockard, his efficient staff and willing eo-workers, our expectations have been more than realized. With the capacity of the building taxed to its full extent, a corps of teachers, faithful and painstaking in their work, and a student body from the very best class of patrons from this and other states, we have had one of the best years in the history of the institution. Everything worked smoothly and the results have been gratifying. The financial statement of the school looks simple enough

when read; however, the initial amount paid Dr. Dinwiddie for the plant, plus accrued interest, plus the running expenses for upkeep of the property, were to overshadow the financial picture of Peace Institute for the thirty years. As the years passed, the debt on the property was to advance to $90,000 plus an accumulated deficit of $35,000, making a total debt of $125,000. This deficit was not paid in full until 1945.

The range of salaries for the teachers was approximately the same as in the Dinwiddie administration. Dr. Stockard did receive a slightly higher remuneration for his position as Presi- dent, and he still taught classes in both English and Latin. The teachers received about seventy-five dollars a month. However, it must be remembered that in actual buying power, this sum was equivalent to about $400.00 in today’s scale of pay.

There were some changes in the twenty-nine member staff, as there are in almost every academic institution each year, but a high percentage of the personnel remained from the Din- widdie period. This nucleus was a foundation on which to build the expanded curriculum toward which the school aimed.

The Music Department remained virtually the same until 1913, as did the household staff. For the 1910-11 session, the services of Mrs. Sarah Peck Booker were acquired as Lady Prin- cipal. She had a very gentle disposition; in fact, she was almost too “benign” for the disciplinary job of being a Lady Princi- pal. Mrs. Booker also had a course in Domestic Science. A stu-

34

dent who took the course describes i t as “just a little cooking” and no sewing. “The idea,” she adds, “was to cook and then eat the results as fast as you could get i t from the stove.”

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Besides Dr. Stockard, outstanding personalities of this period were : Julia Aunspaugh, Lady Principal ; Misses Mabel (Com- mercial Subjects) and Edith Royster (Director of Pedagogy) ; Miss Lovie L. Jones in Music; Mrs. Ruth H. Moore in A r t ; and Dr. William McClanahan White, pastor of the First Presby- terian Church, who presided on the Peace Board of Trustees.

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Summation of the conditions a t the institution can be made by the following quotation, which appeared in all of the early catalogues :

Occasionally we come upon a school or college which has taken steps so fa r in the van of sanitary progress that we consider its merits entitle i t to special mention in the editorial columns of the American Journal of Health. Such is true of Peace Institute a t Raleigh, North Carolina (which deserves praise) for the provisions made for the protection of the health of its students. The classrooms of this establishment are well arranged and well ventilated. The objections so frequently heard regarding eyestrain brought on by defec- tive light . . . are absent. . . . In fact, in every important detail, and in every essential feature, Peace In- stitute presents an admirable example of what a thoroughly hygenic conception and a liberal expenditure of means will accomplish. . . . Parents and guardians who regard the question of health as being of at least as much importance as the matter of mental advance- ment- . . . will find in Peace Institute an establishment which fully meets the requirements of the most exacting. The Institute operated its own laundry, and the charge for

this service was $9.00 a term. In 1910, a new laundry plant was installed and the price was raised to ten dollars a term. Each Saturday morning the Lady Principal would come before the assembled boarders with a large pile of unmarked items from the laundry. As a pair of black gym bloomers, a heavily ruffled petticoat, a brightly colored blouse, or a limp, odd cotton stocking was held up, the claimant would step forward, sometimes with blushes, to get her piece of clothing. After this, the students were asked please not to let those things go through the laundry again without being marked.

In 1909 a student council was initiated at the school. This was in line with the steps taken in other academic institutions of the State about this same time. The Student Council was appointed by the faculty and was made up primarily of seniors. Student body officers, on the other hand, were elected.

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Requirements for entrance were the same duri g the Stock- ard years as they were in the previous administra ion.

Another innovation was the contract given below which the student was supposed to sign.

I do hereby contract with the authorities of Peace In- stitute that so long as I remain a student here I will do all in my power to comply with its regulations.

In a sense this could be considered the forerunner of the Honor System.

The general charges of resident pupils were “board, furnished room, heat and light, academic tuition and a contingent fee” which totaled $205.00 per year in 1906 and was increased to $255 per year in 1910. This was only a n increase of fifteen dollars a term. For Day Pupils the increase was even less; from a total of fifty-two dollars a year, their tuition was advanced to sixty-two dollars a year, or an increase of ten dollars. There were smaller increases for primary and preparatory students. Curriculum changes are not too obvious. There is no goal toward which the changes are directed, such as the later goal of accreditation.

All courses in collegiate work were elective in 1906. “But some definite course must be chosen by each pupil under the direction of the Faculty.”

The complete academic courses outlined cannot be mastered under four years of diligent work. . . . Except under special conditions, four full studies (12 hours) with extras, is the maximum work allowed each student. . . . Ambitious attempts to crowd work usually results in unsatisfactory grades and impaired health. No diploma is awarded in the Academic Department unless the Candidate has been a student a t Peace Institute for at least the Junior and Senior years. Another introduction in 1908 was the School of Bible. Three

years prior the only thing said of Bible courses was that “Classes will be formed every session for systematic study of the English Bible.”

The organization and description of the Bible course in 1909 is much more scholastically stated:

In the course of Bible study, the aim is to have all students acquire a n acquaintance with the whole Bible. The course covers four years as follows:

1. Preparatory Patriarchal Hebrew History 2. The Life of Christ 3. The Establishment of the Christian Church 4. Poetical and Prophetic Books

The Chapel was used for Study Hall and students not in class were to study here in their free time from nine until two.

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In 1906, the “girls study in their rooms a t night. Those who abuse this privilege will be required to study in the “Study Hall at night under the direct presence of a teacher.” The girls of fifty-five years ago were a bit more serious about their work than those of the preceding decade. Girls who, ten years before, felt that college was more or less a serene interval before marriage, now were more conscious of the working world.

Besides the new laundry mentioned previously, a new frame house was built behind the Main Building in 1912. Poorly constructed, the structure was dubbed “Mr. Young’s monstrosity,” though it served Peace for many years. The first floor of the building was used as the Science laboratory; on the second floor was the Art studio.

Clothes for the girls deviated very little from those described in the previous chapter. Even as today, hemlines fluctuated up and down like a statistics chart. The difference was in the amount of foot exposed rather than the knee! Even if the girls were urged to bring simple clothes, the headgear defi- nitely was not simple. Looking at the pictures of these enormous creations of felt, velvet, ribbon, lace, feathers, flowers, and wire, i t is hard to imagine where these hats were kept when not in use!

Shoes were also a subject of warning from the school officials, who emphatically state : “Except during warm months boarding pupils will be forbidden to wear thin or low shoes.” “Low shoes” in this case meant heavy leather oxfords in black or white, which came to the ankle bone and high on the instep; high shoes, on the other hand, were eighteen or twenty button shoes which came half way up the calf of the leg. A very expert young lady could button these shoes in about five minutes each, which meant she had to get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning jus t to put on her shoes. The extra five minutes was needed to locate the button hook, which was used for many purposes and was always misplaced.

Lectures, concerts, football games, trips to the Museum and to town, as well as other places were enjoyed, but invariably with a chaperone. Activities during the week centered around classes, studying, chatter, food and plans for a party the coming Saturday night. The parties were strictly for the Peace students; there were rarely invited guests. Sometimes a small group of girls gave a party among themselves. These groups account for many of the amusing pictures of “clubs” in the yearbooks of that time. In 1909, there was a “Naughty-Nine Touring Party.” They are pictured in one of the first automo- biles in the city of Raleigh-an open red and white Ford of that year. The car belonged to Mr. John Park, Sr. Another club was the “Elizabethan”; it had nothing to do with the Virvin Queen or her era. It was simply made up of girls with the fsst name “Elizabeth.”

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In the Athletic section, there were only two sports listed: tennis and basketball. The tennis pictures show the girls in long, white dresses, and some even have on white, broad-brim hats. One cannot help but wonder how they played tennis in these costumes.

::: ::: ib :: :: ::: :: d: :b ::: :i:

During the short period of this administration with its limited financial circumstances, there was considerable progress for Peace. Though there was the initial debt of purchase, new baths were added, as were the new laundry, another heating plant, and the new building for Art and Science. It is evident that the school was exceedingly well kept, with new pianos and other equipment purchased when needed.

Scholastically, progress was evidenced in more standardized entrance requirements. While credit units of work were not used yet, certainly the requirements for an Academic diploma as given in the analysis above are forwardlooking to a degree.

Dr. Stockard had the experience of about thirty years of teaching when he assumed the Presidency of Peace. He was aware of the changes and trends in the field of education. His policies in curriculum and requirements indicate that he was informed on all of these matters, and the lines of progress that were being followed in other schools. In closing i t may be appropriate to read these words that he spoke to one of the graduating classes a t Peace.

There are thousands of colleges for women scattered over our land. . . . Of them all, you have chosen Peace, and theref ore Peace recognizes her indebtedness to you. She has warned you, encouraged you, ministered to you, and today exhibits her highest confidence in you. She promises to follow you with her loving regard wherever you may go. If you rejoice, she will rejoice with you ; if you weep, she will share in your tears. She will extol you in your achievements and sympathize with you in your defeats. You are her children; remember her as your mother.

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Dr. George Junkin Ramsey

President 1912-1916

THE RAMSEY ADMINISTRATION 1912-1916

Particularly characteristic of this period was the subtle transition from “dogmatic instruction” to the cultivation of the open mind under the name of academic freedom. The year 1913 saw a greater percent of the nation’s young people in college than ever before. When Woodrow Wilson was elected President in 1913, the fact that he was a former college president made i t seem that the “idealistic and intellectual forces in American life were a t last to come into their own.” To the contrary, however, it was destined that the colleges were to be involved in the “tragic epic” of Wilson’s administration.

In no previous era of history had the colleges been so closely linked with the larger national drama. College presidents were leaders in debates over American in- tervention in the war, college professors were among the victims of the growing intolerance. . . Experts from college faculties became chief advisors a t the Peace Conference, and the college professor also came to symbolize the dangerous radical hunted down by Wilson’s Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. Between 1912 and 1917 students began questioning the

“validity” of the moral code of the prior generation. There was a distinct effort to standardize the entrance requirements for pupils. Psychological testing was introduced. There was also some effort made to standardize the subject matter of courses. Through a series of committees formed by the National Educa- tion Association reporting between 1893 and 1918, this major conclusion was reached: too few students went to college for the high school program to be made a preparatory program for

39

college. Curriculum reforms were studied, and entrance requirements were standardized by the “Credit,” “point,” or “unit” system of college admissions. As this program was further regulated, the age of the college student advanced. No longer was it possible for youngsters thirteen, fourteen and fifteen years of age to enter a standard university.

The growth of the elective system in the college curriculum was making way for more intensive specialization in various fields, and also for the “fragmentation of education,” the last a complaint of the classic scholars. The student studied Philoso- phy 4 or 107, but “he never was given a philosophy of life.” Everywhere young people were in revolt against the old order of things; the status of women had changed. Heretofore, it has been seen that student life from 1880 to 1914 was a rather gay affair-for the men.

The most important feature of the. . . age was the radical change in feminine mores. The girls joined the party. The University of North Carolina had about 500 students

in 1913. The enrollment a t the more recently organized “A and M” college of Raleigh was a little over 300. Tuition a t the latter school was twenty dollars a year.

Like other schools in the vicinity, Peace Institute had a limited budget, and the turnover of the teachers was great. There was little money too for repairs-a bit of paint here and there where i t was most needed and furnishing the necessary rooms was about as much as could be done in a year. However, the students seemed to realize that the plaster and the wood could not make a fine school, while the things of the spirit could. The very things that a girl could complain of seemed eventually to make the school loved as the eccentricities of an old friend.

Much sympathy was felt for the victims of the German Kaiser, even before the entry of the United States into the conflict. All sorts of charity events were initiated to raise money for Belgian Relief and other such agencies. Faculty concerts were given for this purpose, bazaars were held, knitting was done and other activities were sponsored for a worthy cause. These years were not without straws in the wind to indicate future trends, but for the most part a school like Peace Institute followed the old tried and proven ways.

The Ramseys with whom this reference is concerned were of Scottish ancestry. Their f irst home on the North American continent was in Pennsylvania prior to the American Revolu- tion. The Reverend James Beverlin Ramsey, the father of George J. Ramsey, was born in 1803 and died in 1871. The Rev- erend Ramsey was married twice; his first wife and infant child died within a year after the marriage. The second Mrs. Ramsey was a highly-educated woman from a New England

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family named Sarah Tracy. She was teaching in a private home near Fancy Hill, Virginia, when Dr. Ramsey first met her. These, then, were the parents of George J. (born in 1857), who was their only child. Young George was studiously inclined, and his father encouraged him in this direction; thus some thought the elder Ramsey might have in his son something of a prodigy. When George was twelve his father died, but despite this loss and the difficulty of the times in the South, the boy was able to enter Hampden-Sydney, from which institution he graduated in 1878. Subsequently, Ramsey received a Master’s Degree from the same school, then matriculated a t the University of Virginia, where he did graduate work for two years. However, in 1880, he accepted the position of Professor of Latin a t Ogden College, Kentucky. Several years later, he was asked to take charge of Silliman College, a Presbyterian School for girls in Clinton, Louisiana. Remaining here for fifteen years, Dr. Ramsey built a highly successful school. He left Louisiana after two years of yellow fever had deprived the school of much of its patronage. In 1912 he was called to assume the Presidency of Peace Institute in Raleigh.

George Ramsey was slightly built, his height being about five feet ten inches. His hair was a light reddish brown; his eyes, hazel. In his mature years he wore a short beard, and his whole demeanor was dignified but friendly. His wife, the former Annie R. Stevens, served as Lady Principal at Peace; and the home-life of the couple was exceedingly happy. They had three children, two sons and a daughter. Because of the strict and studious circumstances of his childhood, Dr. Ramsey was much more lenient with his own children.

George Ramsey was a fine executive, extremely tactful and friendly. His friends were many, and all ages were represented. At his death, i t was expressed by his wife that he had left her “a legacy of friends.’’ During his years a t Peace, his talent for organization and administration found an outlet in his duties. His leadership in organizing the Peace Alumnae Association into a constructive working unit with goals to accomplish is ample proof of this. His relationship with his faculty was based on mutual respect. Because of ill health, Dr. Ramsey resigned the Presidency of Peace Institute in 1916. Prior to this he was given the honorary degree of LL.D. by Southwestern Presby- terian University in honor of his contribution to education.

A civic-minded man, Dr. Ramsey was active in the civic and charitable affairs in Raleigh. He was an enthusiastic Rotarian, a director of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, and a president of the Gideon Society. Always a man of deep religious convictions, he was a member and later an elder in the Southern Pres- byterian Church. He will be remembered in North Carolina and the South as a true man, a great teacher, and a citizen who never spared himself when there was a service to be rendered. After a period of declining health, Dr. Ramsey died a t the age of seventy-three in the year 1928.

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Annie Rosa Stevens was born in Walthourville, Georgia, on April 16, 1862. Her childhood was spent in Georgia and Florida where her father taught. In her early teens, the family moved to Middletown, Delaware, and from there, the father was called to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Here Thomas Sumner Stevens became head of the school, and it was here that his daughter received her education. Her interest was primarily in things literary, though she was gay and hardly what one would call a bookworm.

In Bowling Green, she met George Junkin Ramsey and the two were married in 1884. When Dr. Ramsey was elected president of Silliman Institute in Clinton, Louisiana, Annie Rosa proved herself to be much more than a housewife by teaching voice, piano and a r t in this school, while also making a home for her growing family. These busy years taxed her resources a t times, but she enjoyed i t all with her warm humor and “having fun” with her children. Despite her gentleness, she earned the respect of her students and her own children.

When Dr. Ramsey came to Raleigh as President of Peace Institute, his wife immediately became interested in the activities of her new town as well as the activities of the students. Although she served only one year as Lady Principal (without pay) her influence was felt to a greater extent than this would indicate.

There is a most interesting “Olde Time Thanksgiving Menu,” artistically decorated and ingeniously worked out with quotations from Shakespeare for each item on the menu, all credited to Mrs. Ramsey. Some of the items follow:

“Creamed Oysters ‘The world’s mine oyster Which I with sword will open.’

Merry Wives of Windsor Roast Turkey ‘The games up!’

Cymbeline Cranberry sauce ‘Chewing the fruit of sweet and bitter fancy.’

As you Like it Celery ‘A brittle glory.’

Peas ‘How green you are and fresh.’

Stuffed Peppers ‘Stuffed with all honorable virtues.’

Much Ado About Nothing Lemon Ice ‘Then farewell heat and welcome front.’

Richard I1

King John

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Merchant of Venice Salad ‘My salad days when I was green in judgement.’

Wafers ‘Trifles light as air.’

Othello Mince Pie ‘Thy honesty and love will mince this matter.’

Othello Coffee ‘Potations-pottle deep.’ ”

Anthony and Cleopatra

Mrs. Ramsey proved her inherent ability the year that she served as Lady Principal. She seemed to have no discipline problems as fa r as the girls were concerned. Once when the Presi- dent was away on business, some of the students were in all probability simply bored. They determined to make a “pie bed” for one of the teachers. The victim of the prank was evidently not endowed with humor, and was quite upset by the incident. It did not take Mrs. Ramsey long to locate the mischief-makers, and just by her words made them feel very small indeed. She then asked the girls to return to the room and replace everything just as they had found i t and furthermore, apologize to the teacher for the “inconvenience caused her.” Of course, this was done and little more was heard of the incident. This lady loved plants and flowers and she always had plants in her home. Friends and neighbors often brought some sickly plant to her for help. After her husband resigned the Presidency of Peace, Mrs. Ramsey kept up with friends she had made there.

She was confined to her home for some time before her death, which occurred on June 20, 1958. A short sketch of her life was written for the records of the Colonial Dames Society; i t concluded with these words:

She won the admiration of all who worked with her and she leaves behind her the memory of a life well spent.

Well remembered among the officials and faculty a t the

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time were James R. Young and Ada Womble. ::: :I: :!# :b :I: ::: :: ::: :k :!# :: :j:

From the year 1915 to 1917, James R. Young served as President of the Board of Directors of Peace Institute. He had served in a similar capacity in the previous administration.

In order to keep the school under Presbyterian influence and to insure the church its permanent control, “a committee was formed to act upon purchase of the property then worth about $150,000.

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The purpose of the committee has been to place Peace Institute under the permanent direction of the Presby- terians of the State, and this has now been accomplished, a new Charter has been secured, a provision of which changes the Institute from a stock company to a corporation to guarantee the purpose originally con templa ted. Dr. Ramsey was unique in that he was the only President

of Peace Institute thus far who did not teach any subject at the school. His talents seemed to lie in the direction of administration and organization, rather than in actual classroom teaching. As indicated above, this was j u s t the reverse of circumstances in the case of Dr. Stockard, who continued to teach Latin and English a t Peace in the Ramsey years and until his death in 1914. As in years past and those to come, there was considerable turnover in the faculty. Never an autumn came but what there were new faces on the campus and adjustments to be made in courses and personnel.

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The classes for Primary and Intermediate work also show little change in comparison with the preceding years. Changes of course titles and texts varied some, but basically there was little difference in the work involved. In the “S~b-Collegiate~~ division, there are found studies similar to what one would expect in a Senior High School. For the Collegiate Department the work is still presented as being given over a four year period, and “diligent work” was required to complete the courses in the length of time.

Academic certificates and diplomas were still awarded in the traditional way on Commencement Day. The Institute offered three academic diplomas; (1) Classical, (2) Literary and (3) Scientific. The courses required and the hours for each are given in the old catalogues. In this schedule, sub-collegiate classes were only one-half an hour long; they began a t nine in the morning and ended a t three. Collegiate classes began at the same hour but were the regulation hour-long sessions. All classes were scheduled from Tuesday morning through Saturday afternoon.

It is in these History courses that one notes the greatest change and improvement in the curriculum of this administration. Improvement here is marked and meritorious. Another change noted in these years was the de-emphasis in the courses formerly titled “Mental and Moral Philosophy. Latin is also shortened in the descriptions and subjects given. There is however offered four years of work and the earning of a certificate.

The well-known Conservatory of Music was, as always, one of the most important branches of the Institute; its Director was still Mr. Brawley, assisted by a “full and able faculty.”

As head of the Art Department of Peace, Mrs. Ruth H. Moore maintained consistently high standards for her pupils.

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The four year Art Course leading to a Diploma included the Freshman year of Academic work, Art subjects, History of Art and a final exhibition of artistic endeavor. At this time a passing grade was 75, (reduced from 80 some years prior), and this grade was to be averaged. The student who averaged 90 in any subject was announced as “Distinguished” on Com- mencement Day; those who averaged 90 on all subjects were placed on the Honor Roll. Graduate Honors were awarded to members of the graduating class.

Scholarships a t the Institute had “lapsed,” and a paragraph calling attention to the fact appeared in each Catalogue. It said in part, “Since there are so many worthy girls needing such assistance, we hope that this may suggest to our friends the re-establishment of such scholarships.”

The requirements for graduation from Peace Institute were sixty-eight hours of work. When divided into four years, this meant the student carried seventeen hours each year. This was further divided into required courses, which totaled fifty- three hours for the four year period; and fifteen hours were allowed for electives.

Generally speaking, there were almost no changes in the expenses for attending the Institute from one to another of these years, though prices had advanced some since the Din- widdie days. The year 1913, however, found the charges for art lessons five times a week to be $25.00 per term. This was increased the next year to thirty dollars a term, and the higher figure remained. All other items remained identical, but an interesting addition in 1916 was the charge of twenty-five dollars per term for Private lessons in physical culture. All things considered, the charges seem very nominal today. It may be recalled that in former years such courses as Latin, German and French merited “special fees.” More and more i t was realized that i t seemed a better policy to put as many expenses as possible in the “Tuition” category and have that figure higher than to have so many listings under “special fees.” The charges on the whole were in line with other schools of this type, but i t seems that Peace had more to offer because of a superior teaching staff.

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The exact words from former years were used to describe the government of the “house.” Authority was still based on the one word “parental,” although there were indications of things to come in this statement. “While we have not adopted self-goverment in the broadest sense, every liberty consistent with the interests of the students is granted.”

No student was to have been absent from the Institute during the school session, but there is no l o r i ~ - s that impressive list of things to do and not to do. Each girl was expected to sign the statement beginning . . . “I do hereby contract with

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the authorities of Peace Institute . . .”, which originated in the prior administration. “Visits of young men will not be permitted except a t the discretion of the President or the Lady Principal.” There were no callers a t all allowed on Sundays, and no student could go “driving or to places of amusement except under the chaperonage of teachers.” There was little here to indicate that there was any encouragement of dating for the girls, or that the stringent rules regarding social interchange with the opposite sex had been in the least relaxed. Perhaps a change in this connection was in evidence over the other sections of the country, but as yet it was not in evidence at Peace.

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The physical plant of the school changed almost none during these years. The description of the Library indicates that there was little change in this important department except the staff. Friends were invited to contribute to the Peace Library.

The stressing of simplicity in clothing for the Peace girls had not deviated in the least from prior times. At least, there was no required uniform, as was the case at one time in the school’s history. Any garments beyond that suggested were termed “superfluous.” One cannot help but be sympathetic with the girls in this respect, and be glad that they, to some extent, ignored this sage advice. Again, only simple white dresses are to be worn a t Commencement and parents were urged to provide their girls with “suitable underwear for the winter by the first of November.”

The lighter side of life a t Peace can be seen by consulting the Annuals of that time. Articles, verses and a r t work were included here, enabling the reader to gain something of an inside view of student life. One amusing script was appropriately titled: Methods of Managing the Faculty, from which the following excerpts are taken.

When you don’t feel like waiting until three o’clock to read the day’s home news in the News and Observer. remind the Librarian that you are studying civics and have been directed to keep up with the doings in the Legislature, in Congress, the Mexican and Balkan wars.

If you see the Lady Principal looking at your bedroom slippers a t breakfast do not go near her, but begin to limp and make for the back dining room door to the Infirmary staircase . . You will be able to escape by the front Infirmary door.

If when serenaders come, you have been forbidden to clap or make a sound of applause, open your shutters and stand in the bright moonlight, or if there is no moonlight, arc light, and wave your hands vigorously

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. . . . , .

. . . . . .

E

4

back and forth in the motion of clapping. This will be almost as effective as the real thing.

If in chorus class the director accuses you of not looking “directly a t her,” plead that when nervous you get cross-eyed.

When you’re about to be caught laughing aloud Sunday night, snatch your Bible and tell the duty teacher when she appears, that you are laughing to think how Jonah must have looked when the whale got through with him. These and other choice morsels of information on the same

subject do not bear the author’s name. However, some of the points in fact could be well taken today.

The “costumes” for the athletic activities had not changed much in thirty-odd years. Outfits consisted of the voluminous black bloomers, hip-length sweaters, long-black stockings and head coverings which looked very much like dust-caps.

There is a rare picture of the May Court of 1913 presided over by May Queen, Nellie Graves. It seems that almost every Senior that graduated was listed as a superlative of one kind or another. They had in one year such titles as “prettiest,” “handsomest,” “most popular,” “most capable,” “most reliable,” “most jolly,” “cutest,” “best dancer,” “most enthusiastic” and “best student.” Marshals were named for Commencement only.

The “fun clubs” were not so numerous as in other years, but sometimes there were as many as nine. Their names included “Paradise Alley,” “We Three,” “Midnight Crew,” “Blue Ridge Rollers,” “The Suffragettes,” and others. The last named club was about as much as was printed from Peace about the movement for woman’s suffrage. The German Club gave a dance each year, but there were no boys. This fault was considered remedied by having half the girls attending the affair “escort” the other half! The escorts dressed in dark skirts and white shirts, while the “girls” wore party dresses. Though this arrangement was a little antique, the dances they did were the latest thing on the floor, and included the “Grizzly Bear,” “The Bunny Hug,” “The Turkey Walk,” and the “Boston Dip” as well as old standbys like the waltz and the two step.

The Sophomores were considered the “terrors of the School” and did all in their power to live up to their reputation by hazing Freshmen, being obnoxiously conceited, according to those same Freshmen, and having an all round good time before assuming the responsibilities of Juniors. They were probably the instigators of this column of “Wanteds for Peace Girls”:

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

1. To sleep through breakfast. 2. Permission to attend the A. and M. Easter hops.

47

,

3. Mail - animate and inanimate. 4. Ponies to ride through the Latin course. 5. Mufflers for the practice pianos, and others. By 1916, the Student Council had been pictured for the

first time in the Lotus, and the Marshals had a larger part in the formal affairs of the school. A Current Events Club had been organized, and, last but not least, boys came to the annual Junior-Senior banquet.

Though she did not know it as yet, Peace was on the brink of a new era; deep and lasting changes came with the end of World War I. This school and others like her had to exchange their “age of innocence” for a more purposeful, more realistic service to match the temper of the times, According to some authorities, the years between 1890 and 1915 were the most desirable in which to live. Whether or not one agrees is an individual matter. What does matter is that there was much in that era that was good and has been irrevocably lost. It is not without nostalgia that one looks back, studies awhile, then closes this chapter of the book.

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The primary accomplishment in these years was the organization and the establishment of purposes for the Alumnae Asso- ciation. In subsequent years, his single accomplishment gained for the school ten-thousand-fold over anything i t had done in the past. Friends of the school, a s well as Alumnae, have established scholarships, furnished rooms, donated gifts of money to the endowment and general funds of Peace. One could say, of course, that this organization of the former students of the school would have come sooner or later anyway. That is true, but the fact that the movement was sponsored and planned by Dr. Ramsey made i t his psrticular contribution t o the history of Peace.

Another major contribution of this administration was the maintenance of the high quality of instruction given a t Peace. Against the restlessness of an embattled world, holding to such a status quo was no mean accomplishment.

Fin ?;ly, Dr. Ramsey and his wife gave a personal contribution of dignity and prestige. Often Dr. Ramsey’s friends were friends of this school, and there was support and intangible gain for the institution in this respect.

Quietly and sedately, as a lady should, Peace pursued a middle-of-the-line course, tailoring her curriculum to the pres- sures for functionalism in education and yet still offering the more classic curriculum without which a young lady could not teach nor go on into professional fields in a university. Since Dr. Ramsey was the administrator of policy a t Peace Institute, to him must go the credit for the evident wisdom the school’s policies.

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J

1

Miss Mary Owen Graham

President 1916-1924

THE ADMINISTRATION OF MISS MARY OWEN GRAHAM

1917-1924 One important development of the period Mary Owen

Graham served as President was called the “personnel movement” in higher education. It had its origin in the “paternal- istic” type of educational control in the colonial religious schools. These had as their objects the saving of the students’ souls as well as developing their minds. After the Civil War, German- trained professors tried to implant the impersonal and cold intellectualism of European universities upon the American scene. This kind of scholarship found no appeal for the Ameri- can student, who had the tendency as a result to turn more and more toward extracurricular activities with his energy and spirit. Thus the object of the new personnel movement was to bring ‘(the campus and the classroom together again.” This was supposed to be done by providing more services for the student including placement, counseling and health and personal problems, as well as conferences concerning the class work. To foreign visitors to the American campus, it is this personnel factor that they find most impressive,-this so-called concern for the ‘(whole” student. The growing numbers of students and the increasing complexity of student life eventually required large numbers of specialized staff members to take care of these new student “services.”

After 1918, the idea of college for all became more wide- spread and enrollments for most colleges increased. In many and striking ways, the college professors of that time were called upon to do much outside their particular field of work, and they made many great contributions. Scientists sprang as one to serve their country. Against the new war weapons of

49

gas and the submarine, the college professor was among the heroes of the conflict. Throughout the conflict, the students and officers of women’s colleges continued to tender their services. Like the men’s colleges, they put themselves on a wartime basis, observing food regulations with meatless and wheatless days, and participation in all manner of volunteer services. Many schools abolished parties, taking seriously the slogan of “no frills or fripperies.”

The officials of teachers’ colleges wanted more emphasis on methods. The liberal arts colleges, on the other hand, seemed to be completely oblivious to the multitude of high school students who would never be able to go to college. The students needed, not French Classics or trigonometry, but the more practical aspects of education such as bookkeeping, typing and elementary physics. During this critical period there was also a great increase in the number of Junior Colleges. Some tended t o be community-type colleges, others were under religious sponsorship. Either way, they brought higher education to many more students than had ever been the case before. One of the things this type of school had to guard against was becoming a mere preparatory school for the senior college. As the senior colleges and universities made progress toward national standardization of criteria for entrance and graduation, the junior colleges followed suit.

During the whole period a profound social and moral revolu- tion was underway, and the World War was too simple an explanation for it. Youth, i t seemed, was in revolt against everything that the older generation preached. Another unusual phenomenon of this period was the rise of the “Prom Trotter.” Often these girls were models or chorus girls invited to the universities for the prom week-end. Fast girls of this time were social successes, and most generally boys did not ask their home town sweethearts to the proms. Popularity was the “stage line” in these cases and depended on risque jokes, daring gowns and close dancing. Girls from conservative homes, on the other hand, found their situation difficult to cope with. “Some swam gaily with the current; others clung desperately to the rafts of traditional morals and manners.” In conclusion, i t can be said tha t for a larger proportion of the students in the post-war years, college life was a long, gay party.

Though the North Carolina system of public schools was improved since the beginning of the century, i t still left much to be desired. The salaries of North Carolina teachers were only sixty percent of those of most of the country. Many of the rural areas had only a six month school term in 1917. A teacher jus t out of college could command a salary of $100.00 per month; after two years experience, the figure was $120.00. However, i t should be remembered tha t to show the shocking state of North Carolina’s education, in 1918 she bore the third highest illiteracy rate in the entire nation, an amazing 12.3 percent of the population. To make the education picture worse, the United States wanted 30,000 teachers for government work.

50

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The vicious flu epidemic closed the schools altogether for a period. With the close of the war teachers were once more available. In 1922, the State inaugurated a school building program together with a studied plan of consolidation. More and more i t was realized that the public school, always one of the best-loved institutions of democracy, was also one of the greatest hopes for the betterment of mankind.

When the Armistic came, there were many students who returned to school - and many who did not. For all, there were changes to be faced, changes both large and small. Improvements in the high schools’ plant and curriculum allowed them to intrude into the domain of the academy and small college. The growth of the high school can truly be said to constitute one of the most important educational developments in the post-war decade.

Denominational and private schools had a hard time keeping up with the financial outlays of the State supported schools. Their greatest hope in competing or in some cases even surviving lay in an endowment, such as the Duke Endowment, which totaled more than $40,000,000.

Raleigh in 1917 was a town of some 23,000. As always i t was a center of education, a hub of culture and politics as well. Then, the inevitable happened-war was declared and the songs became softer and sadder. “Thrift Clubs” were organized and gardens were planted in the spring to raise supplementary vegetables for schools and families. Any institution, school, church or factory, was hard to keep up during these years when all metal and every effort was turned toward war. Faulty heating plants were joked about and tolerated, peeling paint was ignored, and self-denial was felt to be the least civilians could do when their boys were giving so much.

The armistic seemed almost sudden when the prayers of so many had come true after so long. When the news came through by telegraph on November 11, 1918, people in their homes and students in their schools a t f i rs t believed that Raleigh was having the worst fire in its history when bells began chiming, whistles blowing, and other unusual sounds stirred them in the early morning. The news spread quickly and soon the paper boys were on the streets shouting, “Extra! Extra !”

Quickly following the outbreak of war was one of her deadly sisters, Pestilence. The ravages of Spanish influenza had been heard of but until 1918 had seemed both distant and remote. Now the terror of an unconquerable epidemic had come home to Raleigh. It was a reality. It first appeared a t State College, where hundreds of young men were intent on learning the new forms of deadly war. From here i t spread quickly into the town itself, destroying dozens in its wake.

At Peace Institute, the session of 1918-19 began on Septem- ber 12. On September 30, Miss Graham notified the parents

51

and guardians of her students of her plans in a special letter. A t that time, there had been no “flu” on the campus. She explained in the communication that she had asked the cooperation of both students and faculty in “preventive measures” when she learned of the prevalence of the disease. These were:

1. Report to infirmary a t f irst suspicion of cold. 2. Ban on soda fountain. 3. Ban on promiscuous assemblage. 4. Give up shopping voluntarily.

She closed her letter with the promise that parents would be notified if their daughters became ill. “We have thrown around her the best protection possible.” Shortly thereafter the school was suspended. This course was taken the day after the first case of the illness appeared in the infirmary. In a statement to the paper, Miss Graham explained the situation:

It is with deep regret that I disband our work a t this time. I will keep you informed of the date when we can resume work again. It is a situation. . . beyond human control. . . The closing was short-lived. In a month, the girls returned

to school in a flurry of trying to make up the lost time. A quarrantine was imposed until the Christmas holidays when the students again went home to enjoy the limited festivities of the season. When they returned to their schools, they brought flu with them. Teachers turned nurses in this time of trial; then, often, the teachers became ill. Eventually, after suffering, heartache and death, the epidemic passed into history. The characteristic of Raleigh and most of its inhabitants by 1924 was a pervading air of serenity.

In 1922-23, the descriptive words concerning the “government of the house” was rewritten and both the obvious and subtle changes set down, and the changes made in this one year (1921-22) are rather remarkable. Not only is the language so modern tha t i t could apply today, but the penetrating change in attitude reflected here indicates that school officialdom has met the challenge of standards brought about by World War I and other social upheavals.

Since nowhere in the records is there such clear-cut evidence of profound and overall change in student-official relationship as in this one paragraph, it should be given here.

We endeavor to make the school a cheerful, Christian home. A considerable measure of student government is in force with the thought tha t the development of a sense of individual and group responsibility is an essential part of education. A spirit of cooperation between students and faculty is the ideal. Every liberty consistent with the best interests of the students is granted.

52

This is, indeed, a far cry from the picture of the patriarch, Dr. Dinwiddie, defending his charges from the presence of the A. and M. boys as the group walked through the grounds of the capitol to church on Sunday night.

School expenses steadily advanced during these years. In 1918-19, the price almost doubled for the primary listing of Board, furnished room, heat and light. This category was $255.00 for 1915, whereas for 1918-19 the cost was $400.00 for the year. It is not surprising that prices a t Peace should rise as they did in line with other services and commodities. I t may be surprising to some that they were not even higher than listed. Of course, the whole upward trend came to an abrupt halt some six years later-1929.

There was not much change in the social regulations with one or two notable exceptions. Sunday was to be “restful and recuperative” for the student. Young men wishing to call could only do so with the permission of the parents and the “discretion of the President and Dean.”

Permission for week-end visits are given students a t such times as do not conflict with their duties or the health regulations of the school. Such privileges are granted only upon written permission from the parents or guardian to the President or the Dean. In the above excerpt, there is the f irst inkling of the almost

all-prevailing exodus of college students from the campuses for the week-end as i t is found today.

After a lapse of some twenty-five years, the school magazine, Voices of Peace, was revived in 1919. Another new publica- tion was the Students’ Hand Book, issued by the Student Gov- ernment Association. It was a guide for the students, contain- ing regulations and other pertinent information.

The description of the plant notes an increase of the school’s acreage from eight acres (1915) to ten acres (1924). During the year 1919, a major acquisition was made by the school. Mrs. Lula B. Wynne generously donated a large part of the purchase price of a lovely residence located in the fifth block of North Wilmington Street, which had formerly been her home. The property was first used in the session of 1919-20 as the Junior Department of Peace Institute; i t was used in the same manner until 1922. I t was called Lula B. Wynne Hall. The college had hoped that it would f i t a definite need, for many parents expressed a desire to send their daughters to such a school. As long as the Hall was used as a Junior Department, a teacher was assigned to i t as special House Mother. Later, the house was designated as the President‘s Home.

The only rule regarding clothing was that the girls dress neatly and simply. The pictures of these girls, for the most part, look very demure. Day dresses were shown to be about two or three inches above the ankle, with tennis dresses (1917)

53

slightly shorter. Middy blouse effects predominated throughout the period, and gym shirts featured this, the lower part of the costumes consisting of the invariable black bloomers and black hose. By the close of this term, the girls wore the gym sui t rather than dresses for tennis. Above all, the most noticeable change in the appearance of the girls was that by 1924 there was hardly a head that had not been shorn. Bangs and a variety of headbands were featured, a la Theda Bara. The girls looked very much like the Typical American girl of that day with little exaggeration in clothes or appearance. Lipstick was not detectable, and rouge was usually reserved for the Dramatics’ Club play each spring. Only the hair-short, carefree and shaped-with evidence of marcel and curling iron showed these were children of the “Lost Generation.”

Among those named to the Board of Trustees in these years was an alumna, Mrs. Josephus Daniels, being one of the f irst women of the South to have such a position.

In the Catalogue for 1922-1923, the following words appeared for the first time, indicating the general divisions and the purposes of those divisions of the work a t Peace.

The courses of study at Peace Institute are planned to meet the needs of three classes of students. (1) The junior college for high school students who plan to continue their education; (2) the College Preparatory, or High School Department for those who wish to prepare for college, or who wish a general high school course; (3) special courses designed for those who desire to specialize in vocational subjects, or who, for any reason do not wish to take the regular work. Thus, i t can be seen that Peace Institute no longer offered

a four-year college program. This drastic and important change took place in the session of 1919-1920. It is indicated that students completing the work of the Freshman and Sophomore years a t Peace Institute had fulfilled the requirements for Col- lege Entrance held by the New England States, Middle and Southern Associations of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Since Peace Institute became a Junior College a t this time and since this increased the emphasis on the high school work given, the program was accredited by the State Board of Education. The College Preparatory Course was also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges. Now the college work a t this institution covered two years and the high school work four years.

As a Junior College, Peace Institute gave two years of college work for which a diploma was given, but which entailed no degree. There were two college courses offered a t the school: (I) General College and (2) Standard College. The General Col- lege Course was arranged for students “who desire some college 1 training without meeting all the requirements of the Standard College Course.” In this curriculum a wider variety of electives was allowed, and courses in art , music and other fields could

54

’

1

be selected. The Standard College Course, on the other hand, provided work in the Freshman and Sophomore years of regular college work. I t prepared the student to enter the Junior class of a standard four-year college or university. Such students were asked to comply in the following:

A student who contemplates entering a certain college or university after she graduates from the Junior Col- lege, should advise the Registrar of Peace Institute in advance, and so plan her course of study that the subjects she takes a t Peace will be those tha t are required by the standard college or university. A Junior College diploma was given students completing

thirty hours of college work. I t should be remembered that an “hour” is the “work of a class meeting once a week for one year.” Special diplomas were given in the special fields of art, music and other subjects. Certificates were given in music, a r t and expression to “students who complete the work in the department and the academic course through the Junior year of the special course.” Certificates were granted for work completed in the Commercial Department, but students here had to have the equivalent of a High School education “at the time the certificate is granted.”

The school of music was still an outstanding department of Peace Institute. Besides Mr. Brawley and Miss Lovie Jones, there were generally three or more instructors to share the load of teaching.

The year 1924 found not only an enlarged “Business and Secretarial Course” but also one much improved. It is stated tha t the Junior College “is the ideal place for a girl to receive business training”; also, “There is no part of an education tha t a young woman can acquire that will so well initiate her into the business of life.”

It has been written above and i t is worthy of repeating tha t i t is a constant source of surprise that the span of years has seen the undeviating excellence of the faculties gathered at Peace Institute. In long terms or short terms of teaching, each member of the staff had something to contribute-some part of the mosaic tha t is Peace history belongs to that individual. The usual number of regular teachers employed a t the Institute during this administration was about thirteen or fourteen; added to these were eight special teachers, six of which were in the department of Music. For the first time, the title of Lady Principal was changed, and the title was simply Dean.

Through these years, it was urged that new chapters of the Alumnae Association be added, and the dues continued to be $1.00 per year.

It is evident that there were not many Alumnae meetings in those days, but this does not mean that the group did nothing

55

for the school. The first major project to which they contributed substantially was the Pageant celebrating the first f if ty years of the existence of Peace as a Christian school for girls.

Essentially the Pageant was to depict vividly the completion of f if ty years of the school’s history and simultaneously it hoped to renew the ideals and principles for which the institution stood, which are the foundation for any enduring school. Dramatic episodes were selected to show the development of Peace from her conception, also there were “allegorical inter- ludes (which) seek to interpret the spiritual forces which have shaped i ts progress.” It was indicated that all the incidents were to be interpreted as part of an overall theme, and further, that all the episodes were integrated toward the final climax, which was the “Crown of the Spirit of Peace by enlightenment.’’

It was planned that this project was to be a memorial to Dr. James Dinwiddie. The first effort to raise funds was under the leadership of Miss Sophia Busbee, and for this purpose a bazaar was held. Assisting in the endeavor were Mrs. Kenney, Mrs. B. R. Lacy, Mrs. R. Y. McPherson, Mrs. John Andrews, Mrs. Josephus Daniels, and other Raleigh Alumnae. Items of all kinds were made and brought to be sold-cakes, candy, aprons, dresses, embroidered work, and Mrs. Cole’s “traditional baby cap.” As the sale progressed, Miss Busbee could be seen busily stuffing the profits into an old shoe box. As the idea for the Chapel memorial took hold in Raleigh, an active campaign was begun, and work diligently in the effort were Dr. John B. Wright, Mr. E. B. Crow, Mrs. Jane McKimmon and Mrs. B. H. Griffin. They were able to raise some $16,200. At the Com- mencement of 1924, a Building Committee was selected by the Alumnae. After dedicating the organ, the Alumnae ordered a bronze plate put on the organ as a memorial to the late Mrs. H. M. Farnsworth of Raleigh, who gave the organ in 1918. Upon the plate, the following inscription is found : “Peace Institute is indebted to Mrs. H. M. Farnsworth, loyal friend and generous benefactor, for the gift of this organ.”

The above-mentioned activities were the beginning of the contributions made by Alumnae. Not only this, but they were portents of things to come. As the years passed, and more and more of the girls went out into the world, they were aware of what Peace had given them and were often inclined to give in return.

;> >I< :> :K ;:: >: :$ ::: .,. .I. ... ... *. .I. .,. .._ “She had the loveliest eyes I have ever seen.” said a n

acquaintance of Miss Graham when the latter was quite young. With the deep blue eyes went exceedingly long lashes and a n abundance of dark hair. Her erect carriage and dignified bear- ing caught the attention of others on that houseparty in the late 1880’s.

Mary Owen Graham was born in Wilmington, North Caro- lina, on October 13, 1872. Her distinguished ancestry was a

56

blend of Scotch, Welsh and English elements. She was the grand- daughter of John Owen, Governor of North Carolina 1828-1830. Her parents were Archibald and Eliza Graham. Archibald was in the banking business and later in the insurance business. Besides Mary, there were two boys in the family. One of these brothers, Edward Kidder Graham, was one of the most beloved of the Presidents of the University of North Carolina a t Chapel Hill.

The first schools that Mary Owen attended were private ones, but later she attended the Charlotte public schools. After high school, Mary Owen attended the Charlotte Female Insti- tu te (now Queen’s College), where she graduated in 1890. In college she had prepared herself as a Primary Grade teacher, and her f i rs t job was teaching the first grade. In a newspaper interview, Miss Graham talked of the early aspects of teaching and education in general:

There was little opportunity provided for the education of any and almost none for the education of women. The only formal gesture for years was the Normal Col- lege, now the University of North Carolina College for Women. I realized the need for further training. . . . A serious teacher shortage in Charlotte caused the classes

to be tremendous during the years 1892 to 1907 when Miss Mary Graham taught there. The groups in classes often reached as high as ninety in a room, and there were seldom less than sixty- five. Nevertheless, she was described as a “conscientious, enthusiastic and devoted” teacher, inclined to be calm and easy- going and not severe.

Seeking broader fields for her energetic capacities and her deepening desire for service, Miss Graham became an instructor in the North Carolina State College Summer School in 1906. I n 1912, Miss Graham accepted the challenging job of Assistant Supervisor of Education in Mecklenburg County. Sometimes in a buggy and sometimes in a car, she did her work over the County. A list of her duties would astound a supervisor of today.

“Miss Mary,” as she was called by her friends, was a thoroughly feminine person, and she loved the things that made her so-a touch of lace, a strand of pearls, tasteful clothes and accessories. From 1908 to 1913, Miss Graham taught courses in Primary Methods a t the University of North Carolina.

While working a t her post in Mecklenburg County, she did not agitate for suffrage for her sex; she said:

. . . I knew that my work during this time would speak louder for what a woman could do in public office than my words could.

. The highest endeavor of Miss Graham’s career began when, in 1916, she was asked to assume the Presidency of Peace In- stitute, in Raleigh, N. C. To her new post she hrought the effi-

57

ciency of her experience, the forcefulness of her personality, the unselfishness of her service to womanhood, and the refine- ment and grace of her personal tastes. Her expressed goal for the pupil a t Peace was “the full and normal development of the girls, mentally, spiritually, physically, and socially.”

Miss Graham was a leader in the Junior College movement; and Peace Institute was classified as such soon after she came as its head, giving two years of Preparatory work as well. Sub- sequently, the school was accredited as a Junior College, the f irst in the South to have this distinction. Peace already bad a name for itself in the realm of first-rate scholastic training, her graduates having little trouble when advancing their education. Nevertheless, this is the first time that anything is heard of teachers a t Peace being called upon to act in an ad- visory or counseling capacity.

Miss Graham was the first woman to serve as President of the North Carolina Education Association, and was the only one of her sex to hold this office prior to 1923. Another “first” to be added to her numerous ones was her appointment to a place on the National Democratic Committee, a t the suggestion of Angus McLean.

Miss Graham always go t along well with the girls, and it was considered a privilege to sit a t her dining table. The girls had a great deal of respect for their President. They tried to avoid the infractions of rules that would cause them to be sent to her office for a “talk.” For her part, Miss Graham had no hesitation in telling a girl to remove what she thought was excess make-up or to go back to her room and get forgotten gloves; she considered this part of her job and their training.

Through her own awareness of political scenes and her contact with people of political prominence, Miss Graham made her students more aware of their own responsibility in this phase of life. She was astute enough to feel that men and women should work together toward a progressive school for girls, and to this end she obtained the services of Mr. W. C. Pressly as Business Manager.

A woman in Miss Mary Graham’s position was naturally sought for many offices and services in the State. It seems she always had enough humanity and interest to give her services to another, and yet another cause.

In 1923, Miss Graham went to Europe. Shortly after her return, due to ill health, she resigned her position at Peace. She returned to Charlotte and to her home there. Later in her life, she became incapacitated and went into a Nursing Home near Black Mountain, N. C. Even here, her “commanding presence” made itself felt among the staff. Miss Graham had the mis- fortune to break both of her hips during her stay a t this home, and in her last days, she was confined to a wheel chair and her bed. Enfeebled by these accidents and old age, she passed away on March 29, 1957, and was buried in Charlotte,

.*. .._ 3; ... .,. .I. .* .*. .,. :x :k :: ::: ::: ::: .,. .*

58

Monday was a free day, for classes ran though Saturday. Seniors were allowed the special privilege of sleeping through breakfast tha t day and they enjoyed one of the few perennial clubs at Peace, The Monday Morning Breakfast Club. Hats for the occasion (1920) were the off-the-face variety, the turned back brims being faced with satin, feathers or velvet. For a while there was the rage for the French beret made of felt, velour, or satin.

Stopping to refresh themselves a t the tempting California Frui t Store, the young ladies continued to Wilmington Street to Hudson Belk Company to see the “crepe de Chine underwear.” Then they visited the Fashion Shop, which offered a ten percent discount “for cash purchases by the teachers and students of female colleges.” They glanced enviously a t the Gold Stripe Hose (silk) at two dollars a pair in Boylan Pearce and won- dered if the fad of “fountain pens” would ever be practical; the f irst ones leaked prodigiously. Then tired but satisfied with what they had seen and done, the students walked back to their school to turn their minds once more to less frivolous things. Seniors were allowed to go to town alone, and in 1919 a milestone was reached as f a r as the girls were concerned, when the same privilege was granted Juniors, or first year college students. Both of these classes could chaperone ~mderclassmen, considered a most worthy task.

A new lease on life had been given the afore-mentioned “Fun Clubs” of small groups of girls. They came into being for any reason, or for no reason at all. Their numbers ranged from three, a s in the “XYZ Club,” to thirty in the more permanent “Cotillion Club.” The latter boasted two “floor managers.” The latest fad seemed to be clubs with only letters for their titles, i t was probable that no one knew what the letters meant except those belonging to the Club. Continuing in existence were such old standbys as “Hall of Fame,” “Paradise Alley,” “Sisters’ Club,” clubs named for counties, for states and “Daughters’ Club.” New additions to the flock were those with such names as “Devil’s Roost,” “Loafers,” “Busy Club,” “Their Only Child,” “Hall of Silence,” “Sorrel Tops,” and one year something called “Sodalitus Caesariana.” There were generally twenty to twenty- five of these groups on the campus. Whatever their names or their numbers, the groups had two things in common-good times and a host of happy memories.

Trips to the store for between-meal snacks were considered “bad” for the young ladies. Regular hours and regular meals were insisted upon. The “little store” on Halifax Street, and the Drug Store on Person Street were constant temptations to the girls, whose appetites were almost a s insatiable for food as their minds were for knowledge. Penalties of demerits were given for visiting the “little store,” a situation much lamented by the inhabitants of Peace. Even more serious were the stealthy trips to the Drug Store-perhaps because it was a bit farther away. Minuses notwithstanding, the girls went to both places

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with amazing frequency, probably enjoying the added zest o f trying to keep from being caught. They were bravely stoical of their fate when found “out of bounds.” By arranging with some sympathetic person a t the Drug Store (we know not who!), the girls were allowed to hide behind the counters when the unannounced arrival of a teacher interrupted the pleasure of a mid-afternoon soda, sundae, or just jolly talk.

Through their studies, their books, their teachers, their pictures and joys, i t almost seems that one has visited with these girls for awhile. Now i t is time to go forward into other years: but these girls have instilled admiration and they convey a high idealism that has never been quite equalled. These can truly be called the transition years between the very last of the Victorian Era, and the essentially modern, sophisticated college girl. Their gifts should be cherished, and from these girls there seems to come an elusive freshness of spirit that lingers af ter the souvenirs and momentoes have been put away.

,: 4 *. ;> ... ... .C .., d. .L .,. .,. .I. ,,. ,,. .~. :: ::

The contributions of the Graham administration are both tangible and intangible. The latter category includes the wealth of personal integrity and prestige brought by Miss Graham to the institution. Her influence and personal dignity are a n excellent example of blending the a r t of being an administrative executive with that of being a great lady. With her gift for friendship, Miss Graham was able to interest various people in the school. A glance a t the scholarship listing shows a number not before known a t Peace.

The overall changes in curriculum, the reorganization of the work into Junior College and Preparatory Departments, and the accrediting of the school as a Junior College, are certainly monumental contributions for one administration. These changes did not weaken the fine special departments of Art, Music, Business, and Home Economics. Rather the changes helped to standardize these courses along with the rest. Also, the curriculum changes were a giant step forward, Another important consideration, in a small school, is the fact that the faculty was kept up to an extremely high standard while the classes remained small.

An outgrowth of the above conditions was the fine response obtained in Miss Graham’s individual treatment of the students ; her emphasis on the idea tha t the “whole girl” should be educated.

This President brought to Peace a quality which attracted not only girls to the school but faculty as well. She gained a number of specialists for Peace, who would eventually make this school the center of their lives; and their lives would immeasurably benefit Peace. Among these were Mr. W. C. Pressly, Miss May McLelland, Miss Winifred Kuhns, and Miss Harriet Byrne. Further chapters will indicate their immense value to the institution.

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c

In truth, i t can be said that when Miss Graham left, Peace was in a healthier condition than a t any time since Dr. Dinwiddle’s headship. Miss Graham assuredly had a large part in these contributions, even though her health was impaired during the last years of her administration. As long as she could, she carried out a t Peace her personal philosophy of “devotion to women, school and State.”

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Dr. William C. Pressly

President 1926-1965

THE PRESSLY ADMINISTRATION 1926-1965

William Cornelius Pressly was born on March 5, 1894 in the small, remote Western Tennessee town of Troy, the second son of William Cornelius Pressly and Maude Moffatt Pressly. There were, as well, three sisters in the family, Miss Mary Pressly and Margaret (Mrs. Ernest Poston), and a half-sister, Dorothy (Mrs. V. A. Sydenstricker). His only brother, Dr. J. S. M. Pressly, became a physician and practiced medicine in Puerto Rico.

Young William’s mother died when he was five years old. At the age of ten, he went to live with his uncle, Mr. James R. Moffatt, a man remembered by Pressly as devout, energetic and insistent upon discipline. Moffatt‘s early and relentless insist- ence on a knowledge of The Westminster Shorter Catechism left an indelible mark on Pressly, and the memory of i t is alive even to this day. Moffatt was an Elder in the conservative A4ssociate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and, concerning his own religious instruction, Pressly recalls : “Every Sunday we had a session in the Shorter Catechism. If we escaped the afternoon, he got us in the evening!” Moffatt’s devotion to catechetical duty may have been responsible for Pressly’s recollection some sixty years later that he “over-learned i t !”

All of the youthful days of William Pressly, however, were not given over to the rigorous and bleak pursuit of piety. He grew up in the little country town enjoying what most boys enjoyed. He went swimming in the cold creeks around Troy, tried boxing and tennis, but his greatest love was baseball. He and a first cousin gained notoriety as a formidable athletic comlsiiiation known f a r and wide as the “Pressly Battery.”

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Pressly was a catcher and the first cousin a pitcher. Baseball has continued throughout his life to engage and interest him.

Pressly attended grammar school and high school in Troy. The school was very small and was staffed by only two or three teachers. Nonetheless, he felt that they taught him well and were interested in him. In addition to the Westminster Shorter Catechism and baseball, he found time to develop serious interest in mathematics and history. Finishing high school a t fourteen, he had to wait to reach the age required for college entrance. During this waiting period, Pressly took work in Greek and in “Pedagogy,” (presently Education). There was also time t o devote to another interest, music. Pressly’s sisters took formal lessons in piano, but, he developed his “ear” to such a degree that, he says, “I soon came to be able to play just about anything they could play.”

William Pressly was fortunate that his parents and those who guided him were immensely appreciative of the value of education. Such was not always the case in rural areas at this time in American history. His parents were determined that their children would go to college. Pressly entered Erskine College, which is under the control of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, in 1910. His major work was in English and Education, though he did, at this time, have some interest in becoming a physician.

During his undergraduate days, he was very active on the staffs of the college annual and the literary magazine. Baseball also continued to excite him, and he played in a Saturday morning league a t the college.

Pressly shared the dilemma of many young people today in that he did not, while in college, know exactly what he wanted t o do in life. Medicine attracted him, but he also had, he says, “an interest in Education, to a certain extent.” Characteris- tically, he notes, “most of us just wanted to get through college.” “Erskine,” according to Pressly, “wanted to produce ministers and awaken a sense of church responsibility.’’ While he did enjoy courses in science, chemistry and English, work in Bible was, in his estimation, the most challenging and exciting in his undergraduate years. Bible was taught a t Erskine then by Dr. James I. McCain, who, through fine lectures and high expectations, transformed childish naivete into mature and intelligent appreciation of the Bible. This man, according to Pressly, was the best teacher he ever had.

It is worthy of note that the stern religious discipline of his boyhood years did not turn Pressly sour on religion. Though he proclaims himself to have been a “shy young man,” he continued to participate in religious affairs at Erskine, committed to the view that, “the Ten Commandments have stood the test of time and serve as outstanding goals for which a man should strive.” Furthermore, he says, “I came to realize that Christianity gives history purpose.” “But,” he says,

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interestingly, “the times were more conducive to faith then than now.” He feels that people have filled every hour, including Sun- days, with matters that tend to exclude God.

Having grown up a member of a small church, and having attended a college the religious position of which was very conservative, Pressly was sheltered from the gigantic theological turmoil caused by the arguments between the Modernists and Conservatives which convulsed the church in the early Twentieth Century. He did, however, come to have a more than casual appreciation for the great missionary movement within the church at this time. His father’s cousin, Neal Pressly, was a missionary to Mexico who stayed there all his life, and whose children later became missionaries. It is obvious that the church played a varied and significant role in Pressly’s early life. That this influence was rich and meaningful rather than formalistic and negative is reflected in his statement: “I never came to view religion as oppressive, stern or hard.” The great faith and optimism, then, began to take shape in these early years.

Pressly graduated from Erskine College in 1914. Even though his brother had promised to help with his finances in medical school, William Pressly was still undecided about that career. Aware of the need for more time to think, he accepted a job as a teacher in the Sardis School in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The school boasted two teachers, and young Pressly had the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th grades. He taught everything from 7th grade reading to Latin and Greek for 11th graders, “anything,” he says, “that nobody else wanted to teach.”

During the 1915-1916 school year, Pressly was Assistant Principal of the Rosemark, Tenn. School in the Shelby County School system. This school system was regarded as one of the best in the South at that time. In the following year, 1916-1917, he moved back to Mecklenburg County as Principal of the Derita School, still undecided and wavering about a career, still teaching “what nobody else wanted to teach.” In these first teacher- administrator years, however, Pressly came to respect the teaching profession and to value very highly the accumulation and organization of a good faculty.

One characteristic of war is that it will impose a very concrete career upon an individual - a t least for a time. The First World War was no exception to this. William Pressly enlisted in the United States Army in 1917. After a training period, he was assigned to Motor Transportation Unit 338, 80th Division, 2nd Army, and sent to France in May of 1918. His unit was stationed near the region of Alsace-Lorraine. Pressly’s unit was responsible for the transporting of munitions to the front lines. Though his company was bombed a number of times, and though the gun flashes a t night were constant reminders of the horrid business of war, he was grateful for experiences overseas.

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Corporal Pressly was one of the two college graduates in his unit, so was one of those selected to attend a French university during the months immediately following the war. He attended the University of Besancon, near the Swiss border, for four and a half months. There he took sixteen hours a week in French literature and history. In addition to academic pur- suits at Besancon, he was able to travel over nearly all of France. He was discharged from the army on July 26, 1919.

In the fall of 1919, Pressly was back in Mecklenburg County as Principal of the school at Matthews. Of all the school positions he had held up to this time Pressly says tha t this one appealed the most. In addition to the duties as Principal a t Matthews, he also taught mathematics and French.

In 1919, William Pressly came to Raleigh to a State teachers meeting with a friend, Mr. Rufus Grier of Matthews, who was also a principal. Mr. Grier was a friend of Miss Mary Owen Graham, then President of Peace College, and he and Pressly visited her while in Raleigh. This was the first time that Pressly had ever visited Peace College. He had heard of it, but had never been on the campus until this trip.

Shortly thereafter, Miss Graham wrote Pressly and informed him that she was interested in creating a new position at Peace, tha t of Business Manager. She offered him the job and told him that she wanted to come to Charlotte to discuss it with him - which she did. Pressly agreed to accept the new position, and on May 1, 1920, came to Peace College as Business Manager.

Miss Graham, according to Pressly, was an “aris tocrat.” She had great ideas for the school and possessed a wonderful vision of what Peace ought to have been. She insisted upon faculty members of the highest caliber and was able to recruit teachers who had graduated from some of the finest schools in the East - Bryn Mawr, Vassar and others. The truth of the matter was that few Southern women had the academic cre- dentials to teach in a college a t that time, and teachers had to be secured through an agency in New York City. But this, in i ts own way, lent support to Miss Graham’s academic idealism. Her desire for a Business Manager tacitly reveals one capability which she aoparently felt that she lacked: the ability to raise and manage money. With regard to the new position of Business Manager, Pressly recalls that, “she certainly needed one.”

The new Business Manager first lived a t the home of Judge and Mrs. Franklin McNeil on Person Street in Raleigh. He left his packed trunk on the landlady’s back porch for over a month because he was uncertain as to whether he really wanted to stay at Peace. Pressly accounts for the uncertainty by noting that, “Peace was really a female environment. There were no men around a t all except for Mr. Brawley, a piano teacher.’’ Further- more, Pressly had received an offer to be a county superintendent in the State. But he finally brought the trunk in and he did

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stay. The following summer he lived on the campus a t Peace, subsequently moving to the Y.M.C.A.

As Business Manager, Pressly was responsible for financial accounting, collecting tuition and other fees, and for the upkeep of the physical plant. He also taught geometry. He struggled to balance the budget, and when, in 1923, Miss Graham had to leave Peace because of ill health, there were signs of a movement toward financial soundness. Friends of Peace College in Raleigh began to take notice of young Pressly’s acumen and to appreci- a te it, men like The Reverend Dr. McC. White, Minister of the First Presbyterian Church, Colonel James R. Young, State Insurance Commissioner, who was a great friend of Peace, and and Mr. Karl Hudson, Sr., an immensely valuable and respected champion of Peace College throughout his life.

In Pressly’s f irst two years a t Peace, however, all was not a matter of ledger books, receipts, and the billing of tardy accounts. That which caused his early trepidation about staying a t Peace came to be for the young man a very delightful aspect of the college! The lady faculty members were young and out- going, pretty, and according to Pressly, “really good scouts.” He brought dates to the campus for them, such men as Colonel Harrelson, who became Chancellor of N. C. State, Mr. J. Warren Smith of the State Department of Education and Mr. Clarence Douglas, then the State Comptroller. They engaged in a variety of activities : picnics a t Mordecai Springs, cook-outs, various card games, one of which was called “Grouch.” They attended the circus and athletic events, and even, on one occasion, went on a big rabbit hunt near Apex, North Carolina! It is not clear, however, who claimed the title of Annie Oakley of Peace! The young ladies a t Peace were delighted about Pressly’s arrange- ments for them, and his gentlemen friends were more than pleased over the entrees that he was singularly able to negotiate. Indeed, Pressly recalls: “I guess those young girls on the faculty had more dates during that period than they ever had again.”

There was one lady, however, who attracted the young man’s undivided attention. W-hen he came to Peace, one of the faculty members he met was Miss Harriet Byrne of Baltimore. After nearly two years of courtship, they were married in De- cember of 1921 a t the Franklin Street Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, The Reverend Harris Kirk officiating. They returned to Raleigh, a t f irst occupying an apartment on New Bern Avenue. Before moving into Wynne Hall, the young couple resided in apartments on Park Street and Peace Street in Raleigh. Their f i rs t child, a son named for his father, born in 1922, died a t the age of seventeen. Dr. and Mrs. Pressly have five living children: Harriet, Mary LOU, George, Jim, and Dorothy; and nine grandchildren. When the children had reached a suitable age, Mrs. Pressly resumed work, becoming prominent in North Carolina as the hostess-interviewer of a much loved radio show, broadcast for many years over W.P.T.F. in Raleigh. Her wide acquaintance with people over the state was a tremendous help in the procuring of notable speakers for events a t Peace

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College. In 1948, Mrs. Pressly was selected the North Carolina Mother of the Year. With their own family almost grown, the Presslys consented to allow prep students at Peace to live in Wynne Hall with them. Much to their embarrassment, a young lady eloped the first year this new arrangement went into effect. But both agree that their experience with the students a t Wynne Hall was enriching and pleasant, and that, in spite of an occasional elopement, there was between them all a grand family relationship.

The vacancy created in 1923 by Miss Mary Owen Graham’s unfortunate illness necessitated new administrative structuring. Pressly had, indeed, impressed the Trustees with his ability and diligence, but he was still a very young man and, furthermore, still harbored some uncertainty about a full career a t Peace College. The Trustees, aware of Pressly’s potential worth to the college, were unwilling to bypass him entirely by electing another individual a s president. So they created what might be termed a “joint-presidency” whereby Pressly served as officer in charge of business and academic affairs at the college, while Miss May McLelland, who had been Dean of Students since 1916, continued to serve as overseer of social affairs and student discipline.

During this period, Pressly developed great respect for Miss McLelland, and they worked together well because they had to. Pressly was in charge of all the finances a t the school, as well as serving as Registrar and Academic Dean. While he acted solely as Business Manager, Pressly was sheltered from what came to be for him one of the most onerous tasks in college administration : the keeping of discipline. And he gladly left to Miss McLelland as much disciplinary responsibility as he could.

Miss McLelland was a woman of great stamina and con- viction. She made i t her business to see that the girls dressed and behaved properly. While i t might De said that the office of Dean of Students anywhere is not noted for its endearing prospects, Miss McLelland maintained fine relationships with the students a t Peace who were genuinely determined to derive benefit from college. It is also interesting that she seemed to have a special affection for those “tougher” girls who would openly disagree with her, or who were, in general, outspoken. Pressly recalls that, “Miss McLelland was right about ninety per-cent of the time.” If a girl was too sick to go to church on Sunday, i t was likely that, in Miss McLelland’s estimation, she was still too sick to go anywhere on Monday!

A matter of some contention in Miss McLelland’s later years a t Peace involved a white cat named “Henry.” “Henry,” a notorious philanderer, according to Pressly, was given to Miss McLelland, and she came to be quite doting and foolish about him. Boys from State College enjoyed playing with “Henry” when they came to Peace, hopefully to get on the good side of Miss McLelland. Many of the girls, however, resented deeply

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the fact tha t Dean McLelland was able to have a pet on the campus while they could not. This was aggravated by the fact tha t “Henry” had the run of the School, and might go anywhere he wanted to. Even the sternest have blind spots, and “Henry the Cat” was a domain in Miss McLelland’s life into which she would tolerate no intrusion.

Field hockey had come to be a popular game a t Peace, and Miss McLelland chafed and worried about what she seemed the detect as its increasing brutality. Finally, one day she came into Dr. Pressly’s office, unable to abide her worries any longer, and officially protested the activity of the girls who played the game. Whereupon Pressly assured her that a “little rough stuff” was good for girls who otherwise were carried on a silver waiter all the time, that they would derive benefit from i t and were to be left alone. Several days later, Pressly’s own daughter Harriet burst into his office in agony because several teeth had been broken out in a hockey game. But Pressly “ate his crow” quietly and insisted that field hockey be retained as a sport on the Peace campus.

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Peace College in March of 1926, William C. Pressly was elected President of Peace. Miss May McLelland honored Pressly’s request that she continue as Dean of Students and remained at Peace.

When Pressly assumed the presidency of Peace, he inherited an academic program tha t was generally respected and honored in its time. But he also came to feel the weight of a debt of $50,000 which was incurred in 1907 and which by 1926 had, as a result of unpaid interest, approached $100,000. Deficit operation during the depression years added $30,000 to the already enormous figure. This unpaid debt hung like a mill- stone around the neck of the institution, and rankled Mr. Karl Hudson, Sr. more than any other one problem at Peace. The miracle was that no drastic means were taken by Peace’s creditors to foreclose on the debt. Pressly attributes this consideration on the part of the creditors to the general good will enjoyed by the school among the citizens of Raleigh, and to the high esteem in which the Treasurer of the school, Colonel James R. Young, was held. The patience of the creditors and the relentless determination of the Trustees not to compromise the debt resulted in its being paid off in full in 1941. Though one member of the Executive Committee suggested that Peace pay off the debt at the rate of 331,$ per-cent on the dollar, others, including Mr. Hudson and Pressly opposed this. A campaign was necessary to raise the money to pay the debt entirely. This campaign will be discussed among the other campaigns later.

Pressly realized that growth on the campus had been dorm- an t for some years prior t o his presidency. One of his first moves was to reawaken interest in Peace through progress in the development of the physical plant.

Pressly did not come to the presidency entirely uninitiated to the glories and problems of a financial campaign for a

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college. In 1922-23, Peace Celebrated her 50th Anniversary, and, as was customary, there was an outstanding pageant presented. This resulted in a campaign to raise $20,000 which was used in the restructuring of the chapel. Previously, the chapel had been used for a study hall and as an auditorium for the presentation of plays. This was a campaign energized largely by local people and Alumnae. Outstanding organizers and contributors in this effort were Mrs. Josephus Daniels, Mrs. E. B. Crow, Mr. John Wright, Mrs. Jane McKimmon and Mrs. B. H. Griffin. The money was raised and work proceeded on the lowering of the stage by one foot, the installation of chairs and the hanging of curtains. The renovated chapel was named, The James Dinwiddie Chapel. This successful campaign was very encouraging. It gave Business Manager Pressly a taste of the money raising process, and i t reawakened Alumnae interest in what the school might actually accomplish for itself.

When he became president in 1926, Pressly set forth to maintain the burgeoning interest of the Alumnae, counseling them to stop having so many “Bazaars” and to begin contributing themselves. Thus there was established The Loyalty Fund in 1926. He had learned that money could be made for the school through the organized contribution of Alumnae. He also came to understand, under the tutelage of the astute Mr. Karl Hudson, Sr., that “the best way we could make money was not to spend it.”

The first campaign in Pressly’s administration proper was that of 1926-28, organized to raise $210,000 for the purpose of building a new dormitory, library and for the purpose of needed repairs to Main Building. This time Pressly called on professional help from New York City, Mr. John Wilbur Jenkins who came to Raleigh and advised in the administration of the campaign. The effort was given impetus by a conditional gift of $25,000 by Mr. B. N. Duke, who, a t this time, was very interested in the smaller schools. Duke’s condition was that Peace must raise $175,000 in 18 months. Thanks to substantial gifts by Mrs. William N. Reynolds of Winston-Salem and Captain Nathan O’Berry of Goldsboro, who both gave $10,000; due also to the $76,000 campaign of Mr. E. B. Crow in Raleigh and to the leadership of Dr. John B. Wright in the soliciting of gifts throughout the State, the condition of Duke’s initial gift was met. This enabled the building committee to proceed with the erection of East Dormitory, the construction of The Burwell Memorial Library, and the corridor connecting East and Main.

In 1926, William C. Pressly was awarded a n Honorary Doctorate by his Alma Mater, Erskine College. But the self- effacing Pressly did not go to Erskine to receive it until 1939!

The Depression Years struck terror into the hearts of many individuals and institutions in America. Dr. Pressly’s recollection of the effect of the depression a t Peace, however, is not one of utter bleakness and despair. Though some people

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had to pay for the education of their children over a long period of time, or through “payment in kind,” such as shrubbery and bricks, education was still sought after, and there was, a t Peace, apparently no fear of radical insecurity. There were as many jobs created for students as possible, both through the college and through the W.P.A.

Even during periods of great hardship and worry there are those events which occur in everday life which, in their recollection, bring humor and perspective. In these earlier years, there was a librarian at Peace from Lexington, Kentucky. Word began to circulate among the students that she came to school every day with liquor on her breath. Finally, the stories grew in intensity to such a n extent that Dr. Pressly had to call the young librarian in.

“Word has reached me,” said Dr. Pressly, “that you have been coming to school smelling like whiskey !”

“0, I can explain that very easily,” said the young lady, reddening and laughing nervously.

“Well, please do !” said the President. “You see,” she said, “I have a sister who lives in Lexington,

Kentucky, and she keeps me supplied with a candy we like there very much called, ‘Bourbon Balls.’ I get boxes regularly.’’

“Then, please tell your sister from now on,” answered Dr. Pressly, “not to put so much bourbon in that candy !”

In his early years at Peace, Dr. Pressly had the privilege of knowing Miss Ida Currie, a very outstanding teacher in the business department. Miss Currie became something of a second Demosthenes a t Peace. She was noted to have dictated shorthand with her head out the window and her mouth full of rocks! When challenged by a student because of this unseemly business practice, she promptly retorted : “Young lady, you’ll be taking shorthand some day from a man prancing around an office with a cigar in his mouth. I’m just getting you ready for that!”

Pressly inherited a number of Peace traditions which came to rankle him as the years passed. When he became president, Chapel was held ten times a week! Pressly recalls, “I immediately cut that to five.” “Furthermore,” he says, “schools were run in that day and time on a level of very high disciplinary expectations,” rigorousness in terms of dress, behavior, piety, etc. “But I always felt,” he says, “that there were matters in life of f a r more significance than clothes.” When he came to Peace, he says, there was no social dancing allowed on the campus. “The Presbyterian minister’s daughter could dance in the church,” he recalls, “and the prohibition of it a t Peace was quite a n irony.” He persuaded the Board of Trustees to allow it, noting that, “Peace was one of the first schools f o r girls in the South to allow dancing.” Smoking also was a forbidden pleasure when Dr. Pressly assumed the presidency.

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Knowing that the faculty would be vigorously opposed to any move to allow it, Pressly went directly to the Board of Trustees and got the measure approved. He then carried the edict back to the faculty, noting that, “while they did not approve of it, they were pretty decent and agreeable.”

In 1930, with two successful financial campaigns behind him and with the school beginning to broaden i ts influence, Dr. Pressly himself went back to school. In 1933, after having taken one course a quarter in the late afternoons, the young president was awarded a Master of Arts Degree in Education a t State College. His work a t State largely involved courses in school administration. It is not surprising that a man with his native abilities as a leader would say only that his work at State helped him “to a certain extent.”

It would be unfortunate to leave the period of The Great Experiment without one more humorous tale involving Dr. Pressly and a Janitor-Yard Man named William McSwain.

One terribly hot day in the middle of the summer, William, who was working on front campus a t Peace, suffered a mild sunstroke. Dr. Pressly found him and immediately summoned a cab to take William home. The cab came very promptly. The cab driver got out of the car, took one look at William and said, “Why, this man doesn’t need anything but a good drink of whiskey !”

Dr. Pressly, realizing that Prohibition was in full effect, said, “I don’t know where in the world I might find any whiskey at all.”

Whereupon the cab driver fished under the seat of the car, produced a pint of liquor and gave William McSwain a drink. William then came fully to himself, got up, totally ignoring the waiting cab, and proceeded to walk on home under his own steam.

The cab driver stood around waiting. Dr. Pressly emptied all his pockets of change. He laughingly recalls today, “this was the first and last time I ever bought any bootleg liquor!”

As president of Peace College, Pressly was always interested in the people around him. His compassion and gentleness in dealing with his fellow-man irrespective of his niche in life won the confidence of all who worked with him. Pressly’s administration a t Peace is a story of masterful human relationships, not contrived and programmed, but guileless and loving. The rich reward of him who is so fortunate as to talk with Dr. Pressly today is to be generously and engagingly introduced to that forty-five year world of people, people whom he remembers by name, people whose contributions, great or small, h e has never forgotten. He says that his greatest pleasure as a college president was in observing “the spiritual and intellectual growth of the students.” He was no less an appreciator of this in the lives of those who worked with him.

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i i

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The next great programs a t Peace were directed toward the paying of the debt which had grown to over $100,000 and t o the satisfaction of requirements for accreditation in the South- ern Association of Schools and Colleges. The need for money in the first instance was obvious. It is interesting that the long struggle for accreditation was largely a matter of insuf- ficient financial resources and low faculty salaries rather than glaring academic disorder. Curricular adjustments, according t o Pressly, usually involved - in the accreditation drive - the deletion of expensive courses which few took. In the case of Peace, then, accreditation was a matter more of financial than academic weakness.

Of the campaign of 1941, launched to pay off the seemingly interminable debt, Pressly recalls : “this was the most interesting campaign Peace ever had, I would say.” The campaign was initiated in Raleigh on the night that Bataan fell to the Japanese in World War 11. Mr. Lundy, of Lundy & Marks, a New York establishment, personally came to Raleigh that night, deeply worried about what possible effects the nation’s grave concern over the war might have a t this time on a drive to raise money for a college. Matters in the Pacific coupled with the general unwillingness of people to give money to a college to pay off a debt seemed foreboding indeed. But people worked hard in Raleigh and throughout the State, and the campaign was assuredly no disaster.

Raleigh businessmen raised $45,000 in the campaign. The drive was promoted throughout the State, and finally netted, in toto, some $100,000. “This was,” recalls Pressly, “one of the most remarkable campaigns any school ever had in North Carolina.” A debt of $130,000 that had been outstanding for thirty-six years was satisfied, dollar for dollar, during the administration of William C. Pressly. There was a zeal about the repayment of this debt without compromising on the dollar, given poignant expression by Pressly himself: “I don’t believe the Lord blesses people who compromise like that. I don’t see how you could ask God for blessings on Peace College and then turn around and sell i t out for 33l/b cents on the dollar.”

The accreditation of Peace by the State of North Carolina came in 1927. Accreditation by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges, however, was quite another matter, requiring twenty years of effort to be achieved.

While there were minor curricular changes such as the deletion of certain classes in which few students were enrolled and the strengthening of the business department, the chief obstacle to Peace‘s accreditation by the Southern Association involved the raising of faculty salaries and the securing of an adequate endowment fund. Coupled with the necessity of paying off the debt, the raising of an additional $200,000 seemed virtually to be beyond reach. But there was steady, if unspec- tacular, movement toward this goal for twenty years. Mrs. William N. Reynolds, in 1946, upon her death, left Peace College

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$100,000 to be established in trust. Mrs. Reynold’s gift made i t possible for Peace to acquire the necessary $200,000 of endowment needed to meet Southern Association standards, and, in 1947, Peace was accredited by the Southern Association.

The struggle of Peace College to achieve stature in the realm of her academic peers was made a struggle of anxiety and fear by the threats of the Synod of North Carolina to disestablish her. This was a monumental struggle, carrying with it all the pain and fervor of the decisive fight for life. The glorious outcome was that Peace College was preserved. But there is a story t o be told about it.

Peace opened in 1872 under private ownership whose interest was Presbyterian. This type of ownership continued until 1907 when a t the death of Dr. James Dinwiddie, owner of Peace from 1890-1907, the school was purchased by the First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh, which then asked five Presby- teries of the Synod of North Carolina to share the ownership of Peace with them. These were the Presbyteries of Albemarle, Granville, Kings Mountain, Orange and Wilmington. The College also was one of six junior and senior colleges receiving 11% of the benevolent funds (Educational Institution Funds) of the budget of the Synod of North Carolina.

In 1943 the Synod of North Carolina, a t the request of its Committee on Educational Institutions, asked all of the six colleges receiving funds from the budget of Synod to request their various owners to relinquish this control and ownership to the Synod of North Carolina. In 1944, one of the six colleges (Flora MacDonald College) sent a reply to Synod’s committee (Educational Institutions) stating that i t hesitated to comply with their request for fear the college might be closed by Synod. In turn, Synod’s committee replied to them t h a t they could overcome the above fear by inserting in their Charter when accepted by Synod that Synod could not close any school involved without giving the original owners an opportunity to resume the operation of the school, thus protecting local interests.

In 1953 the Board of Trustees of Peace College voted to comply with the request made by Synod in 1943 and to apply for ownership by Synod rather than by the First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh and the five Presbyteries owning Peace, but t o insert in the Charter tha t Peace could not be closed without reverting to its original owners. Synod accepted this Charter, and the ownership of Peace was assumed by the Synod of North Carolina.

In 1954 the Committee on Educational Institutions of Synod authorized a survey of the educational work in the six colleges supported by the Synod. This survey was conducted with funds ($50,000) secured from the Ford Foundation, and i t was under the direction of a special committee appointed by Synod.

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In due time the survey study was completed, and one of its recommendations was that three of the colleges (Flora MacDonald, Presbyterian Junior College, and Peace College) be closed and that from their assets and others, and from a general campaign, funds be provided to build a new college a t Laurinburg, North Carolina, designated a t that time as The Consolidated College, but now known as St. Andrews College.

Following the above decision of Synod, Peace exercised the privilege stated in 1944 to ask the five Presbyteries and the First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh, which were the former owners of the College, to reassume ownership of the College. The five Presbyteries declined to do so, but the First Presby- terian Church of Raleigh voted to reassume ownership of the College. It was then necessary to go to the Courts to determine whether the First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh could reassume the ownership of Peace. The case was tried in Wake Superior Court and Judge George Fountain ruled that the First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh could reassume the ownership of Peace, which was accomplished on June 10, 1962. There- fore Peace was now owned by the First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh, which appointed the twenty-four trustees of the College and the thirteen trustees of the Peace Foundation, which was organized by the Church to promote the finances of the College.

On June 10, 1962, the college came under the operation of the Board of Trustees of Peace College of Raleigh, Inc., a board established by the First Presbyterian Church to carry out the operation and control of the college. All rights for the operation and control of the college were vested in the church. This r ight of operation and control was to be a continuing right so long as Peace operated as a successful junior college, and thus was a perpetual right and included all assets and endowments of Peace College. The judgment determining these rights preserved the property and endowments by providing that they could be transferred encumbered, or sold only upon approval of the district judge. This judgment also set forth that if the First Presbyterian Church should become unable to or should cease to operate such a school, its right of control of these assets and properties would be relinquished and they would be transferred to St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurin- burg, North Carolina.

The rallying of numberless people to the very certain affirmation of Peace that her existence was unimpeachably necessary to the educational welfare of the region was overwhelming. The matter was pursued vigorously by friends of Peace in the newspapers, on the street corners, in homes and churches. To be sure, the law was served and served correctly, but so was the voice of the people !

There was a financial campaign launched in 1954 to raise $300,000 for the construction of a new dormitory and a student

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center. But the struggle over the control and ownership of Peace College previously described was to abort the drive.

The Women of the Church of the Synod of North Carolina did raise, in this campaign, $100,000 to be given to Peace for the construction of a student center in memory of Miss Lucy Steele, revered and respected Bible teacher at Peace who had been killed in an automobile accident. After Peace had won its right in the courts to survive and when the Synod proceeded with plans to build St. Andrews Presbyterian College, the Synodical transferred its $100,000 gift to St. Andrews, thereby nullifying part of the campaign. Peace, then, simply held the money that i t had accumulated until the next campaign which was in 1962.

The Pre-Centennial Campaign, a $1,000,000 effort, began in 1962 under the leadership of Mr. W. G. Enloe of Raleigh. The campaign was given impetus by the gif t of Chicago industrialist Grover M. Hermann of $300,000 to be used for the building of a student center.

Mr. William G. Ross, Peace College Trustee and a Vice Presi- dent of The Superior Stone Company in Raleigh was most instrumental in attracting the attention of Mr. Hermann to the dreams and ambitions of Peace College. Mr. Hermann was, at the time of his gift, the Honorary Chairman of the Board of Martin Marietta Corporation of which The Superior Stone Company is a subsidiary. Once when Ross was in Chicago a t il meeting of Martin Marietta, Mr. Hermann asked him to walk with him to lunch. In the course of the walk, the two men passed by The Fourth Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Hermann was a member and trustee. He told William Ross about the work of the church, its endowment, and the great services it provided to the city of Chicago. After hearing Hermann’s engaging description of his own interest in the work of Fourth Church, Ross proceeded to relate a special interest of his own: Peace College. He told Hermann about the school, what i t stood for and what it was trying to achieve, relating its Presby- terian affiliation and the recent troubles in the courts over ownership and continuation.

Ross found Hermann interested in Peace. Hermann had business interests in North Carolina, but had, up until this time, contributed little money to institutions or other causes within the State.

Within one month, Hermann came to Peace in order to ap- praise conditions and to hear more about the school. It has been rumored tha t Hermann knew when he left Chicago tha t he was going to give Peace College $300,000, but was not sure whether or not i t would be a conditional gift. He had received the plans in Chicago for the student center, and liked them, but apparently had not resolved the nature of the gift prior to coming to Raleigh.

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He met in Dr. Pressly’s office, with Mr. W. G. Enloe, Mr. Micou F. Browne, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. William Ross, Mr. Trent Ragland, Mr. Brookes Peters, and Dr. Pressly. During the meeting, according to President Pressly, Mr. Hermann seemed to rely heavily on the counsel of Mr. Ross and Mr. Ragland. In the course of the meeting, Dr. Pressly said: “You will do the school a great favor not to make the gift a conditional gift,” adding further that Peace had been in a recent struggle for existence, and that , while the college would feel morally obligated to raise an equal amount of money, it needed presently the encouragement and incentive that a non- challenge gift would provide. Whereupon, Mr. Hermann willingly agreed to make the gift unconditional. This meant, then, that work might begin immediately on the building.

A t the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Pressly and Mr. Hermann walked out on the front lawn in order to be photo- graphed together. As they walked, Mr. Hermann said, “You seem to be more urgent about this than anyone else in the meeting.”

Dr. Pressly replied, “I’m nearly seventy years old and want to see these things done before I leave Peace.”

“I’m five years older than you,” said Mr. Hermann, “and I want to see them done too.”

Mr. Hermann’s great generosity, a dedicated president with a youthful and imaginative heart-who had remembered the days of thanksgiving for mere survival-the driving energy of the Board of Trustees, The Peace College Foundation, Board of Visitors, and the devotion of loyal, hard-working Alumnae and friends - these were the energizers, the forces that were to create for Peace College a momentum tha t would launch her into a new day. The Hermann Student Center was erected in 1963, the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Grover M. Hermann.

Fortunately, this was jus t the beginning of Mr. Hermann’s contributions in the Pre-Centennial Campaign. He was shortly to make another large contribution to the development of physical facilities on the campus, this time a conditional gift of $300,000 to be used for the construction of a classroom building. Mr. Hermann came to Raleigh and requested that the Board of Trustees name the new building for Dr. William C. Pressly. This the Board agreed to do, and on Saturday, May 29, 1965, the William C. Pressly Arts and Science Building was dedicated.

Another gift in the early days of the Pre-Centennial Cam- paign which was to be of immense significance for the life of the school was that of $100,000 given by Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Finley and their Associates for the building of a new dormitory. The Marian N. Finley Dormitory was constructed in 1964.

Peace had fought a battle for existence and had won. This was extremely significient in the revival of interest in the school. Financial support of a college the identity of which was

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insecure, whose raison d’etre had been threatened by upper echelon suspicion regarding i ts role, purpose and contribution was not overwhelmingly happy, free and enthusiastic. But there was a new and justified rallying cry now: “For A New Day . . .!’, The dawning of the new day was heralded by many varieties of gifts to the school: lecture funds, endowments for academic chairs, particular and needed renovations in the landscaping and buildings, and scholarships. Dr. Pressly was assuredly correct in his observation that “this campaign, coming when it did, gave Peace new life, new strength, new resolution and a new challenge.”

College presidents are of ten accused carelessly by people with only modest insight of being relentlessly materialistic, interested only in raising money and building buildings. There may be some instances in which this has been detrimentally true, but, generally, the vice is more apparent than real. The administration of William C. Pressly had, as he recalls, “its high points and low points.” The high points were glorious and exciting. The low points forced the ubiquitous and haunting question: “Why has support dwindled, and what is wrong with what I am doing?” The t ruth of the matter is that a campaign or appeal to which there is zealous response indicates to the president and to those deeply concerned that there is tangible approval of tha t for which the college stands, its academic, social and spiritual reality, and its goals.

The physical growth of the college, then, during the administration of Dr. Pressly, would not have occurred had not the college touched the lives of many hundreds of young women with intellectual and religious values which contributed to their own sense of personal identity, meaning, and destiny. Blame or praise for successful financial operation and growth would assuredly find the serpentine path to his door, his alone. But he would have been the first to admit that the “successful campaign” began long before the formal declaration of such, began in the classroom, began in the chapel, began in the important day-to-day relationships between students and teachers and administrators, began when some Peace College officer conveyed in some manner the message to a girl that she mattered tremendously as an individual and that she was cared about. The physical growth of Peace College during the Pressly years was tangible proof that the college had not neglected to provide the environment conducive to the spiritual growth of those who came unselfishly and enthusiastically to help. The energetic and concrete response to all of the campaigns, but especially to the Pre-Centennial Campaign, was the efflorescence of a job well done thirty, forty, or fifty years before! To the materialist, money is precious in and of itself. But i t must be remembered that money comes from years of sacrifice and labor, of days passed in diligence and discipline. The meaning of Peace, then, goes f a r deeper than its tangible dollar value.

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f

The “down” years in the history of the college were not, however, “down” in the sense of spiritual and intellectual aridity. During his entire tenure a t Peace, Pressly was greatly concerned tha t Christianity be presented in a meaningful and intelligent manner. Bible teachers, Chaplains, and the Peace Student Christian Association - these were the categorical exhorters and proponents of religion on campus. This neat compartmentalization of duties, however, did not satisfy Presi- dent Pressly’s understanding of the place of religion on the campus. In his final Annual Report to the Board of Trustees in 1965, Dr. Pressly wrote:

As a Church College, Peace College is making an honest effort to put Christianity f irst in all of its policies, plans, and programs. Truthfulness in advertising, in solicitation of students, and in publications is necessary ; the right ethical relations between administration, staff, and students is always stressed. Religion a t Peace is not focused in any one person or any one organization. It is the responsibility and privilege of every person connected with the School - be he officer, staff, member of faculty, or student - to promote religion. Always profiting from his long association with The

Reverend Dr. Henry Sweets, General Secretary of the General Assembly’s Board of Education, Pressly insisted on the primacy and integrity of religion as part of the college’s program and as the most significant aspect of the development of an individual. With Pressly, the Educator, religion was not simply the matter of a perfunctory academic label for the college. He, himself, was intimately and actively involved in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church, having been ordained an Elder in 1927. Among his church positions were: Clerk of the Session, Superintendent of the Sunday School, important commissions in the Presbytery of Granville, Education Committee of the Synod, and Board of Education of the General Assembly. As President of Peace, then, his own positive interest in and love for the church was exemplified in more than a merely assenting way. This was a daily affair, money or not, capacity enrollment or not, depressing times or encouraging times, and i t mattered infinitely in the pervasive Christian influence of this man and of Peace in the lives of generations of young women. He says that, of all the college tasks, he hated “the keeping of discipline” most. Parhaps his life style a t Peace “kept” more than he will ever know !

While one could not say that there were, in the Pressly administration, radical academic innovations or overwhelming curricular changes, there was a serious and continual effort on the part of the college to be relevant and to improve its academic offerings.

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The Business Department was always of special interest and concern. There was the problem of “keeping up” with current business practices and procedures, as well as the proper adjustment between liberal ar ts and business courses in the Business program.

With the availability of the William C. Pressly Arts and Science Building in 1964, the Department of Art, under the direction of Mrs. Jeannette H. Olmsted, came to offer a more varied and diversified selection of courses for students interested in Art. Largely because of excellence in this department many students developed a serious interest in art, and some chose i t as a career.

The opening of the Hermann Student Center in 1963 made possible a significant expansion in the physical education program. Especially important was the attention given to swimming by Physical Education teacher, Miss Janice Edwards, whose “Water Shows” became anticipated annual affairs.

Another program which brought a new cultural dimension to Peace College was that of Modern Dance, introduced by Miss Molly Dotson of Carthage, North Carolina. Modern Dance began to play a significant role in the artistic expression of the students, bringing new life to religious and dramatic endeavors.

Pressly remembers with great enthusiasm the work done with Dr. Mary Pogue Schwertman, Chairman of the English Department, in her concern for smaller classes, more individual attention and varied teaching techniques.

Changes in the curriculum or standards were always looked upon very seriously and critically. Academic offerings a t Peace were generally respected and accepted by the senior institutions to which the girls transferred.

Looking back over his career, Dr. Pressly confesses that it is all but impossible to single out all of the people who contributed to him personally and to the school. There were prominent teachers, trustees and friends of the college, but, says Pressly, “it is dangerous to mention names, not only because you may inadvertently omit someone, but because you don’t know of the silent friends in the affairs of the college.”

Dr. Pressly does, however, remember with great affection the venerable “Old Guard,” as he calls it : Miss Lovie Jones, who was for fifty years a teacher of music at Peace, and who, according to him, was responsible for his staying a t Peace; Miss May McLelland, Dean of Women, who, says Dr. Pressly, (‘was not always understood, but who fought always for a good cause”; Miss Ethel Grammer, Dietician ; Miss Winifred Kuhns, Mathe- matics; Miss Ida Currie, Business; and the highly esteemed Miss Lucy Steele, who taught Bible, and who was the first person to come to the Mary McNair Jones Chair of Bible, a Chair endowed by Mrs. George F. Avinger of Laurinburg in memory of her sister.

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“She raised my sights from the electronic organ to the pipe organ,” Dr. Pressly recalls of Mrs. Catherine R. Miller, who taught organ at Peace for sixteen years, and whose splendid work in Chapel so enriched the worship. Other outstanding contributors to the academic program at Peace were: Mrs. Ivan Jones, Home Economics ; Mrs. David Worth, who taught initially, and who became prominent in Alumnae affairs and the work of the Board of Visitors ; Miss Mabel Pugh, Art ; and Mrs. Eliza- beth Caldwell Swindell, an outstanding history teacher ; Miss Wynelle Lewis, Chairman of the Self-study conducted in

There were many, many others who contributed precious parts of a lifetime to the integrity, growth and vision of Peace College. Pressly remembers with much gratitude the legal assistance of Mr. Malcolm Seawell, Mr. Ed Hipp and Mr. N. G. Fon- ville who worked so unsparingly and brilliantly in the contro- versy over the ownership of Peace. Others who gave extraordinary support to the college in this great struggle were: Mrs. Julian Hutaff, Mrs. Robert Wyatt, Mrs. Thomas Stamps, Mrs. Ruth Rose, Mr. William MacPherson, The Reverend Dr. James Sprunt, Minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, and The Reverend Dr. Albert G. Edwards, Dr. Sprunt‘s succes- sor.

Among the Trustees who, with such vision and tireless dedication, launched Peace toward “The New Day,” Dr. Pressly remembers with much gratitude the work of Mr. Micou F. Browne, whose personal charm, encouraging attitude, and high respect in the community coupled with an astute financial acumen made him monumentally important in the life of the school; Mr. William MacPherson, who was a veritable “Gibraltar” in the days of the struggle for existence; Mr. W. G. Enloe, Chairman of the Pre-Centennial Campaign ; Mr. Drewry Jones, who early demonstrated extraordinary interest in Peace ; Mr. James C. Little, President of the Peace College of Raleigh Foundation, Inc. ; Mr. Trent Ragland, whose affiliation with the Martin Marietta Corporation facilitated Peace’s relationships with her great benefactor, Mr. Grover M. Hermann; Mr. William Ross, whose ingenuity and dedication was symbolized in the new buildings on the campus; Dr. Harry Whitmore; Dr. John Rhodes; and Mr. Brookes Peters.

Others who contributed time and effort to Peace College were: Mr. Karl Hudson, Jr.; Mr. Graham Connell; Dr. Carey Bostian; Mi*. Kelvin Gray, and The Reverend Johnny Mack Walker.

1962-64.

Dr. Pressly also values very highly the work and contribution of two Assistants in his administration: Mr. Andrew M. Cunningham and Mr. David Warner.

Any historian examining the forty year administration of William C. Pressly would know that there were many more people who were valuable to Peace College than a document of

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modest size could include. Though an author engaged in such a task as this present one must, to a certain extent, Dr. William C. Pressly did not measure or evaluate service to Peace College solely by the criteria of length of tenure, financial benefit or ex- ceptional inventiveness. He valued highly the work of all people for what i t was. He was able to inspire confidence and a sense of freedom in all of those who worked with him, because he, himself, always had time to be interested in them personally, never too busy or too preoccupied to inquire about an individual’s welfare in a folksy, very human way. He was a man who did, in his administration, know the value of a dollar, of capable administrative personnel, of a productive and harmoni- ous faculty, of students, but more than anything else, he demonstrated that he knew the value of a human being.

The story of a colorful and much-loved personality is related infinitely better through exempla than by simple description. The pervasiveness of public love for William C. Pressly is difficult to conceptualize, but may be felt in this little episode.

The Men of the Church of the First Presbyterian Church in Carthage, North Carolina, some twenty-five years ago invited Dr. Pressly to come and speak a t one of their meetings. When the women in the little community heard that Dr. Pressly was coming, they declared that they were going to come to the meeting too. An elderly citizen of Carthage, who, a t that time was one of the oldest living alumnae of Peace College, Mrs. Eva- line Blue, asserted that she was going to hear Dr. Pressly “if I have to go on a stretcher!”

This was not practicable, so Dr. Pressly and the Minster of the church, The Reverend W. S. Golden, went to Mrs. Blue’s home, visited and had prayer with her.

Dr. Pressly in his influence carried the love and message of Peace College to many “grass roots’’ communities in North Carolina and beyond. And like Saint Paul in his continuing concern for churches he had founded, Dr. Pressly did not simply forget a girl when she put her bouquet of red roses aside a t Commencement. When the delightful and spritely Mrs. Blue died a t the age of 97, Dr. and Mrs. Pressly were a t the funeral. Hundreds of other episodes similar to this one are woven into the rich, generous and loving fabric of his character, a fabric which is a t once striking and comforting, challenging and re- assuring, optimistic and real.

On May 29, 1965, Dr. William C. Pressly retired as Presi- dent of Peace College. It is only fitting that his Farewell Mes- sage stand as the final statement:

I completed 45 years of service a t Peace on May 1, 1965. For 39 of these years I have been president. I am grateful to God for anything and everything that has been accomplished during these years, and my life has been greatly enriched because of wonderful official and

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personal associations that have been mine with students, parents, faculty members, alumnae, and trustees. One cannot be associated with a college the type of Peace for 45 years and not be devoted to it, especially when he has been greatly responsible for its having certain objectives and ideals, and when he has constantly been concerned that i t live up to these standards through changing times and that i t grow and increase in its usefulness. I rejoice tha t Peace has made wonderful progress during these years, and that i t now can compete with any junior college in North Carolina or in the South in physical equipment and facilities. I also rejoice that plans are in order for the continuation of the Pre-Cen- tennial Program here, providing for more endowment, the enlargement of the Burwell Library, the enlargement of the James Dinwiddie Chapel, the purchasing of additional land for school purposes and other projects. A greatly enriched school program is also being planned - additional classrooms and faculty offices, more visual aid equipment, more books in the library, a more adequate curriculum offering more electives, a stronger guidance and counselling program, the strengthening of student government by emphasizing that students accept more responsibility in leadership, a strong program in Christian education by strengthening every phase of the work, and more interest in the individual student. You can see from this that while much has been accomplished here, there remains much more to be done. “But as a worthy life is ever a compound of memory and hope, an institution committed to the abundant life can properly reflect on its accomplishments only as a basis of confidence in attacking the unfinished business ahead.” I welcome to lead in this program Dr. S. David Frazier, President-Elect of Peace. He brings leadership, training, and dedication to his new task. My final request is to ask you to join hands with him in the spirit of our school marching song. . . . So, on that day in late May, Dr. William Cornelius Pressly

stepped aside as President of Peace College to become still a man valuable to Peace as President Emeritus. At his final request, they did sing March, Onward March with Dr. Pressly and Dr. S. David Frazier. And they meant it!

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i F

Dr. S. David Frazier President

THE FRAZIER ADMINISTRATION 1965-

Samuel David Frazier, son of Nancy Jarvis Frazier and Wil- liam Dewey Frazier, was born on July 18, 1931, in Blaine, Ten- nessee, a small community of less than 100 people near Knox- ville. He was born the fif th child of a family of ten, having five brothers and four sisters, all living.

The young boy spent his first year of grammar school in a one-room school, accommodating grades one through eight, staffed by one persevering and very harried teacher. The rest of his grammar school experience was in two- or three-room facilities. Of his first teachers, Frazier says, “I loved and respected them very much, and when my brothers, who did this only to provoke me, said anything against them, I became ‘firing mad!’ ” His high regard for these early teachers translated into good behavior in school. Because of this, he and one or two other boys were always given the privilege of going to a nearby spring t o get the day’s water supply for the class. This was considered to be something of a reward and an honor in those quiet childhood days. Frazier attended high school in Rutledge, Tenn., some fifteen miles from Blaine.

Throughout his youth, David Frazier was an avid sports- man. His father was an amateur baseball player, and David himself loved baseball, playing the sport in high school and continuing for a few years thereafter as an amateur. His greatest joy, however, was basketball. Love for this game was not, according to him, simply a spot in the day, but very nearly an obsession, involving both action and daydreams. He was, in high school, President of the Future Farmers of America, a member of the Beta Club, a sometime class officer and “Best All-Round” graduate. Of off iceholding, however, Frazier says,

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“I did not seek i t out, and would have, perhaps, been just as content not to be in the position.” Long hours on the farm, the simple accolades of the period and the place, the excitement of devotion to a sport, the pleasant, tranquil-and almost unique today-youthful relationships with older people-these were designs in the early years of Samuel David Frazier.

Because of very limited exposure to the world and the horizon of opportunity beyond, tiny rural schools offered little in the way of career encouragement. High school itself was considered virtually the epitome of education, and college was beyond the prospect, either in terms of means or desire, of most rural youth. Very early in life Frazier determined that he was going to go to college, not because anyone had ever instilled the idea of a career in his mind, but simply because he desperately wanted to go.

After graduating from high school, David Frazier worked fo r a year, raising enough tobacco to secure him financially for college. His mother relates the story that one day after he came in from a long day in the fields, he said, “I’ve had i t! I’ve had all the farming I can take. I’m going to go to college.” And so in the summer of 1950, he entered Carson-Newman College, a Baptist institution located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. A t Carson-Newman Frazier majored in history and had minors in German and Biology. By going to school in the summers and taking twenty or more hours a semester in the regular terms, Frazier graduated in January of 1953 with the distinction, cum laude in history.

He remembers with much admiration the discipline and scholarly atmosphere of the classes of Dr. Cary Cranford, a German teacher, who, more than anyone else, inspired confidence and determination in him. There were no fraternities or sorori- ties a t Carson-Newman, and social life was centered around clubs and societies. While there Frazier was a member of the college Literary Society, International Relations Club, and Ger- man Club. He also participated in intra-mural sports.

Many people have never been able to get through college, or, if so, barely creditably, with every advantage in the world. This young man, with few advantages other than honor and piety, somewhere in the shadows of Blaine, Tennessee, committed himself to college and graduated cum laude in two and one- half years! There was a materialization in these early years, a two-fold materialization of a man’s spirit: the persistent dream of excellence and the gritty determination that i t be realized. Perhaps the ambition at first was vague, but the ingredients were there, waiting only a context.

Frazier was exposed, very nearly from his waking moments as a baby, to some form of Christian observance. His father was a Baptist and his mother a Presbyterian. He recalls that childhood in Blaine involved three worship services on Sunday: morning and evening at the Baptist Church, and Sunday after-

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noon a t the Presbyterian Church. Of religious expression in the little community, Frazier says, “it was a very emotional, public outpouring-simple, idealistic faith, and very meaningful-traditional and conservative.” He joined the Presbyterian Church a t the age of eleven because he liked the service better. At the age of fifteen, he was ordained a Deacon. And, in what was a n extraordinary and unique move on the part of the church, he was ordained a n Elder a t the age of seventeen.

It would be an understatement, then, to say that he had been prepared for compulsory chapel a t Carson-Newman ! In- deed, the chapel services turned out to be more delightful than even he might have imagined. At Carson-Newman, people were assigned chapel seats alphabetically. In the Fall of 1950, Frazier went to chapel and found himself seated next to another Frazier : Jean Frazier, who would, in 1956, become Mrs. S. David Frazier ! Jean Frazier was a providential and beautiful respite from the rigors of disciplined religious observances.

Immediately after graduating from Carson-Newman in January of 1953, Frazier took a high school position, teaching General Science and Civics until the end of that term.

In May of 1953 he was drafted into the United States Army for a two year tour of duty. He served at military posts in North and South Carolina, and af ter eighteen months was promoted to sergeant, an uncommon accomplishment for a drafted enlisted man.

When his military service terminated, he thought briefly about entering dental school, but shortly thereafter changed his mind. It was this dilemma about a career that led him to take seriously the matter of what he was going to do in life. Because i t was a burgeoning field, because he was interested in it, and because his early life had been so devoid of it, Frazier enrolled in a masters program in counseling a t the University of Ten- nessee in 1955.

He and Jean Frazier were married in June of 1956. Two months later he was awarded the Master of Science Degree in counseling by the University of Tennessee. He and his young bride then went to Jacksonville, Florida, where he served as a counselor-teacher in a junior high school for two years, and where she taught for the same length of time. In the summer of 1958, he went back to Tennessee in order to enroll in graduate school at the University of Tennessee, taking courses leading to a Doctor’s degree in Education. That summer over coffee a man informed him of an open principalship in McMinn County, Tennessee, asking him if he knew of anyone who might be interested. Shortly thereafter, Frazier applied for the position and was hired. In November of tha t year, his son, Nelson, was born.

In the summer of 1959, Frazier was back in school a t t h e University of Tenn. working toward the Doctorate. His major professor, Dr. Lawrence DeRidder, told him of an opening in

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the admissions office a t the University of Georgia. Frazier wrote the school expressing interest in the position and was subsequently offered the job. In the meantime, he had been offered a position as director of counseling services in the Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee. Faced with the decision of whether or not to return to his previous principalship, accept the Hamilton County job, or go to work at the University of Georgia, he chose the latter, and from 1959 until 1961 was Admissions Assistant at the University of Georgia.

While a t Georgia, Frazier became more and more interested in a career in higher education, an interest which, he says, had not really occupied much of his thinking prior to this time. He realized that a Doctorate was utterly necessary for advance- ment in the field of higher education, applied for and got a Fellowship in the College of Education at Florida State Univer- sity. This enabled him to resign the job in admissions at Georgia and to devote full time to the doctoral program which he completed in record time, receiving the Ph.D. in Education in June of 1962.

After having considered several positions in education, Frazier went to Young Harris College, a Methodist junior college in Young Harris, Georgia, in the fall of 1962. At this school he served as Dean of Students and Admissions. In November of 1962, a second child was born to the Fraziers, a daughter, DeAnne Frazier.

In the fall of 1964, Dr. Frazier was offered what he calls “an extremely attractive job in a community college in North Carolina.” He says, “I was sorely tempted to take tha t job.” But instead he remained at Young Harris for another year.

One late winter mid-afternoon in his office a t Young Harris, Dr. Frazier was startled to hear the melodious, bristling brogue of The Reverend Dr. Albert Edwards, Minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, who had called him requesting that he come to Peace College for an interview for the presidency. Dr. Frazier came to Raleigh and met with members of the Peace College Board of Trustees in the Board Room of the Occidental Life Insurance Company, of which Mr. Micou F. Browne, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, was President. Among those a t the meeting were Browne and Frazier, Dr. Albert Edwards, Chairman of the presidential selection committee, Mrs. Joseph Allred, representing the Alumnae, and Dr. Carey Bostian. Dr. Frazier was offered the job of Presi- dent of Peace College the nest morning. At the March meeting of the Board of Trustees, he was officially designated as Presi- dent of Peace. On July 1, 1965, Dr. Frazier came to Raleigh to assume the duties of President.

In that summer of 1965, in a new position, a stranger in town, and alone in Main Building much of the time, Dr. Frazier had more than enough opportunity to realize the awesomeness of his new responsibility. That he did realize i t is reflected in

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the initial statement of his inaugural address delivered over a year later on March 29, 1966: “I would accept this post of potential educational leadership with a great deal of personal pride if I could escape for just this one hour a very acute feeling of responsibility.” Though previously a diligent man, and one who by training and experience knew the field of education well, he had never been the one totally responsible-and answerable-for the program of a college. Falling plaster and leaking roof in Main Building, immediate and urgent student complaints shortly after he arrived in July, and the encroaching general recognition of the task ahead soon made him aware of the manifold responsibility of being the new President of Peace.

Together with this realization of the magnitude of the job, however, came the gratifying good wishes of the thousands of supporters of Peace, who were themselves very much still committed to the “New Day” of the Pre-Centennial Campaign, who were prepared to continue to work for Peace in the years ahead.

Frazier brought to Peace College a very decisive and determined attitude about two matters: l) the distinctiveness of Peace College as a small, two-year liberal arts school for young women, 2) the distinctiveness of Peace College as a Christian college. From the very beginning of his administration, he set forth to bring to the attention of faculty, administration, and students the very deliberate self-examination that might determine not only the future course of the college, but its very life. Educators all over the country had come to look seriously, and, in many instances, with fright, a t the claims of small private schools which were feebly alive under the shadow of modern institutional goliaths. Furthermore, Christian scholars had come to a perilous uncertainty about the non- descript and perfunctory rationale of many church related schools. Could Peace assert an uniqueness because of its small- ness or i ts specific clientele? Or was the day of small, private education over and the existent claims made for i t simply nostalgia? Many professional educators thought so. He did not. Was there an uniqueness that Peace might claim as a Christian school? Or, was the Christian school in 1965 an outworn and unreal residue of earlier ecclesiastical idealism, with no observ- able distinction, really, and no unique contribution? Many Christian educators felt that claims for a religious distinctiveness were mysterious, if not utterly unsound. Frazier did not concur in the tolling of the bell for Christian distinctiveness. But he did impress upon all connected with the school the necessity of intelligent and responsible answers to these questions which had become acute in the realm of higher education. Neither question, in his administration, has faded out of the Peace perspective. The continued effort to meet these chal- lenges to the existence of the school has been, philosophically, one of the major endeavors of his administration. Indeed, it has been almost a daily concern, requiring insight, creativity

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and vision from teachers, administrators, and students. The questions have permeated curricular decisions, scholarly goals, and the religious situation a t the college. If mistakes were made, i t was not because of ignorance of the vital issues in Christian private education.

In his f irst year as president, Frazier devoted much time to learning about the college, its heritage and present stance, feeling that i t would have been “presumptuous” on his part to move radically in new directions without an understanding of Peace’s past and present. One concrete move which he did make, however, was to hire a business manager, and through special consultants to reorganize the accounting procedures at the school, thus relieving the office of the president of responsibility for financial accounting.

Extremely conscious of the necessity of an excellent academic posture at Peace, President Frazier began to move toward a strengthening of academic standards, requiring tha t all teachers possess Masters Degrees, or higher, in their respective teaching areas. Also the Faculty In-Service Training Program was reshaped so as to involve more faculty participation in questions intimately related to Peace, thus making use of the talent which existed amply on the campus rather than bringing in outsiders who might or might not be able to address themselves to Peace’s peculiar problems. Self-discovery is always an interesting and meaningful matter; but in the case of Peace College, Frazier felt i t to be crucial. His f irst year had not ended before everyone knew that.

Officially, the very successful Pre-Centennial Campaign which had drawn so much support for Peace College after the victory for survival came to a close in 1966 with the final payment of pledges. But the public enthusiasm which this campaign had generated continued to manifest itself in the ensuing years in the rapid and unprecedented growth in the physical resources of the school.

Immediately before the assumption of the presidency by Frazier in 1965, The Board of Trustees had begun planning for the construction of a new dining hall. Chairman of the Board, Mr. Micou F. Browne, had especially objected to the fact that the college’s cooking enterprise was carried out in the same building in which students lived and slept. Further- more, this meant that the upcoming meal was inordinately advertized aromatically all the way to the fourth floor of Main hours before that particular meal was to be consumed. In some cases, this was not an unattractive feature. When the menu sported such items as collards, cabbage or fish, however, the odoriferous reminder of pleasantness to come was infinitely more formidable than inviting !

President Frazier persuaded the Board of Trustees to enlarge the plan of the new dining hall to a two-story structure, which they agreed to do. Belk Hall, completed in September of

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1967, a t a cost of over $375,000, was so-named as an expression of appreciation for the $100,000 gift toward construction of the facility by Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Belk of Charlotte, other members of the Belk family, and associates. The building contains a spacious student dining room, named the Carol Grotnes Belk Dining Room in honor of Mrs. Irwin Belk, a private dining room for formal affairs, a large self-service student store, post office and a large leisure-time area.

The Ragland Tennis Courts, which facilitated a growth in physical education offerings as well as providing a great deal of personal pleasure for the Peace community, were constructed a t a cost of $20,000 in 1966. This complex of three hard-surfaced, all-weather Laykold courts was the gift of Mr. W. Trent Ragland, Jr., chairman of the Peace College Foun- dation and a generous benefactor of the College.

In the spring of 1967, Mr. Grover M. Hermann again generously demonstrated his confidence in Peace College by presenting the school a $250,000 matching gift, to be used in the construction of a new library and dormitory. The Pre- Centennial Campaign had just been completed which had resulted in handsome gifts by many people. Furthermore, the college had just built a new dining hall which had required much existing money. Mr. Hermann’s gift, coming when i t did, caused the Trustees to consider, quite seriously, the probability of the college’s being able to match it. With some degree of reservation about possibilities of fulfillment, they did accept the challenge, and launched what came to be known as “The Hermann Matching Fund Campaign.” These two projects were to cost ultimately over one million dollars.

Frazier has a strong memory of the circumstances under which Mr. Hermann made this challenge gift. As an honorary trustee, Mr. Hermann had received an invitation to the annual meeting of the trustees, and he, as well as all trustees, had received by mail an early copy of the President‘s Annual Report - a policy Frazier initiated his first year a t Peace. Mr. Hermann had indicated an intention to attend the annual meeting, so the president’s disappointment was very acute when Mr. Hermann called from Pebble Beach, California, to say tha t his plans had changed and that he would be unwilling to attend. His disappointment changed to uncontained excitement when Mi.. Hermann stated rather casually that he wanted to help financially with the projects outlined in the president’s report. The ensuing conversation, literally breathtaking to the president, resulted in Mr. Hermann’s pledge of $250,000, contingent upon the construction of a new library and a residence hall to house a minimum of 100 students.

At an Executive Committee meeting of the Board of Trustees, called to wrestle with the question of how to proceed with the raising of all the requisite money for these new hildiiigs, the quiet and unassuming Mrs. George D. Finch of

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Thomasville raised her hand several times for recognition from the floor. Finally called upon by the Chairman, she said: “The Finch family would like to give $100,000 toward the construction of the new library.” There was an air of stunned silence in the meeting, whereupon the Trustees, after some minutes, burst into a warm applause.

In December of 1967, the Trustees called together a group of Raleigh businessmen to discuss further the meeting of the challenge of Mr. Hermann. At this gathering, largely local supporters of Peace pledged $100,000. With Mr, Hermann’s gift, then, and the gifts of the Finch family and Raleigh businessmen, the way was clear for construction of the library and dormitory to begin. Viewing what earlier had seemed to be a very unlikely prospect of success, one Trustee is said to have made the statement: “Mr. Hermann is going to keep giving us money until we are all broke !”

The Lucy Cooper Finch Library, a completely air-condi- tioned two-story facility accommodating 56,400 volumes and 230 students, was completed in the spring of 1969. The building, made possible by a major contribution from Mr. and Mrs. George D. Finch of Thomasville and their three daughters, contains the audio-visual center, rare books and archives room, plus a conference room, study rooms, and a typing room.

The Ross Residence Hall, a magnificent facility for 126 students, was completed in September, 1969. The U-shaped three and one-half-story structure is arranged with a suite floor plan, providing every four girls with a bath. Three study rooms, a typing room, a clothes pressing room, tw.0 kitchens, a large recreation room and reception, and entertaming areas are included. The building was named for Mr. William G. Ross of Raleigh, chairman of the Peace Building Fund.

The intensified growth on the Peace Campus since 1965 has been nothing short of phenomenal. The value of the physical properties at Peace College in 1965 was one and one-half million dollars. Presently the value is three and one-half million dollars, due to increase in the next year by another one million dollars. Further evidence of physical progress may be seen in the much- needed renovations of major buildings on campus, especially Main, the installation of a system of lights on front campus, the air conditioning of the William C. Pressly Arts and Science Building, and extensive landscaping. In addition to the spectacu- lar giving for physical improvements and construction of buildings, there has been, since 1965, very substantial and steady growth of the endowment fund, specifically, in some instances to be used for faculty development, lectures, scholarships, and program enrichment. Since 1965 there has been a four hundred per-cent increase in annual giving, this augmen- tation due in large part to three solicitations per year instead of the traditional one. Furthermore, there has been an overall increase of sixty per-cent in the cash value of the endowment

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a t Peace College. Financial interest in a school, however, is not simply an arbitrary matter or the manifestation of random generosity. People have generously given money to Peace College in the past and in the present because they perceived something of value a t Peace, something distinctive, something with decisive meaning. I t is not just a matter of helping another needy institution, but rather, in a sense, both a tacit and a tangible approval of what a college is contributing to the benefit of man. In a period largely dominated by massive, secular institutions, friends of Peace College have enthusiastically voted in her favor by securing her rapid and continued growth.

Since 1965, the entire academic offering at Peace College has been immensely enriched. Courses in sociology, economics, physical education, journalism, advanced language study and political science have been added. There has also been the addition of a “pre-business” program for those students who might wish to pursue a baccalaureate degree upon transferring from Peace College. There has been a reshaping of the mathematics program and a continual re-examination and restructuring of the course offerings in the Department of English.

New physical education courses will involve week-end skiing trips fo r credit, this having been part of the program f o r two years in the past, new courses in gymnastics and fencing. In 1972, for the first time at Peace, there was a Drama Study-Abroad Program in which students went to England and over a two week period studied English drama and saw theatrical productions. In the summer of 1972, there will be another “first” in the curriculum at Peace: a Special Projects Course in Marine Biology to be held on the coast of North Carolina. The “Special Projects” idea is open, as well, t o other teachers in their respective disciplines, and Dr. Frazier hopes tha t there will be other such efforts in the different fields. Honors Work and Independent Study continue to be distinctive elements in the curricular organization of Peace College. In the school year, 1972-73, a course in creative writing will be offered by a published North Carolina author, who also has had newspaper experience.

Upon the completion of the new Music building in the near future, there will be a significant expansion of work in music. Such goals have already begun to take shape in the formation of the vocal Ensemble, organized in 1968, and in the presentation of a stadent opera-another “first”-on the Peace College campus in the Spring of 1972.

Changes at Peace College since 1965 have been rapid and dramatic. Dr. S. David Frazier’s efforts to develop a distinctive physical plant and a distinctive curriculum, both in volume and in quality, have placed Peace in an extremely advantageous position among her peers. At a time when many colleges are having to relinquish standards in order to attract students, Peace has been able t o preserve and enrich a liberal ar ts cur-

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riculum of fine quality. At a time when many private colleges, some of them church-related, have had to relax community standards in order to survive, Peace has been able to operate to capacity, still retaining a distinctive respect for the dignity and wholesomeness of the college community. “In order to survive as the Peace College we know,” says Dr. Frazier, “we must maintain our distinctiveness, a distinctiveness in terms of our Christian emphases and a distinctiveness concerning our academic excellence. Or - we will survive as something else. And I a m not sure that I would like to see that.”

The last seven years as well as the first ninety-three have been ful l of lighter moments. There was the time when a very beloved member of the Peace College community, Mabel Andrews, emptied all the dormitories by accidently turning on the fire alarm and walking away. Only when she saw everyone lined up on front campus in fire drill order did she realize her mistake.

Also, there is a very favorite story of a conversation between two mothers, one of whose daughters had enrolled at Peace. (The names here are fictitious.)

“0, Mrs. Jones,” said Mrs. Arnold, “it has been so long since I have seen you! And where is your daughter Sally now?”

“Why, Mrs. Arnold,” answered Mrs. Jones, “my daughter Sally is at Peace.’’

“Dear, dear, friend,” replied Mrs. Arnold, “I did not know, I am so very sorry to hear that, so extremely sorry. When did it happen?”

“Last year,” said Mrs. Jones. “And I did not know it, I did not know it,” Mrs. Arnold said,

forlornly. “How tragic !” “The truth is,” said Mrs. Jones, “she tells me that she loves

it very much !” The Reverend George Alexander Thomas, Chaplain & Mary

McNair Jones Professor of Bible a t Peace College, was presenting a particularly complex lecture in class one day on the intricacies of the Interestamental Period. Students were taking notes feverishly, indeed, almost grotesquely. Finally, when the lecture was completed immediately before the bell, one clever and exhausted girl looked up from her notebook and said, with some vehemence: “Mr. Thomas, I believe tha t you were just making all of that up!”

Another episode with the Chaplain involved his throwing a cigarette out the classroom window one day which caused a dry bush to begin to smolder. The tradition was then circu- lated among students that Mr. Thomas had his own private “burning bush” directly outside the Bible Room.

Though conditions at Peace are, today, very healthy, and though there is a live intellectualism and spirituality on the

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campus which is exciting and motivating for everyone, Dr. Frazier has never lost sight of the dark blanket of failure that has fallen on many similar institutions, either crippling them or destroying them altogether. It is this fear, he says, which keeps him awake a t night so often. But, he says, this fear, awesome and debilitating though i t might be, has been, so many times, ameliorated by the courage and loyalty of Peace College supporters, the selfless dedication of the Board of Trustees, the energy and excitement of an augmented Board of Visitors, the spirit of determination in academic excellence evidenced by a very competent faculty, and the kind and serious cooperation of the student body. But this is a distinctiveness in all of its one-hundred year history for which Peace College may be decidedly thankful to The Almighty.

Though Frazier maintains that the overall gloominess of the prospect of private higher education never ceases to engage his thoughts, he is very quick in pointing out that there are innumerable pleasures in being President of Peace. Chief among these pleasures, he maintains, is the young lady who, upon graduation, immediately becomes a loyal supporter of the college, thus, once again, testifying to the impact of Peace on her life.

The theme of distinctiveness, however, is not to be applied solely to the past or the present. President Frazier hopes that this distinctiveness will be maintained in the future, envisioning Peace as continuing its role as a small, primarily residential liberal ar ts college for women, distinctively Christian and distinctively excellent academically.

Future plans for the enlargement of the physical facilities on the campus will assuredly complement academic and spiritual distinctiveness and aid immeasurably in augmenting it. Mr. Grover M. Hermann has given $125,000 to be used in the construction of a new music building on campus with a recital hall, studios, and practice rooms. An excellent feature of this new facility will be a custom designed concert organ in the recital hall. Plans are also underway for the construction of a “Little Theatre” in the space formerly occupied by the Burwell Library. Further projects envisioned as complete by the Fall of 1973 are: the air conditioning of the Hermann and Finley Buildings, the modernization of East, the lighting of the Ragland Tennis Courts, and the renovation of the James Dinwiddie Memorial Chapel.

It is assuredly true that the Personae of Peace College past and present have told a story that ultimately defies writing. I t is before the magnitude and wonder of Personae that the historian, be he novice or expert, stands in extraordinary appreciative silence. He is both anxious to write and inevitably repentant about what has been written by him. He may be censured by many for his own inadequacy and his own selectivity, but he must not be censured for wanting to tell the story. Since man first crawled out of the cave,

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it has been his relentless drive to talk and write and sing about Personae. But Personae are too complex and too marvelous to be scribed to perfection. And that is the reason the process is never finished. There is every reason to be proud of the accomplishments of Peace College in this her Centennial Year and to celebrate her life with pageantry and gratitude to God. But again, in another one hundred years, whether there is anything recognizably Peace or not, those who remember and those who write will confirm the understanding tha t Personae made Peace College distinctive. Surely, Peace College is Personae.

Main Building, Peace College

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Documents

Personae: